The Danger of Rushing
by walkthatlonesomevalley
Summary: Amy and Karma are in their first week of college. A sorority house is keen on forcing Karma to rush and a band of strange mismatched misfits try and tell Amy she's got something mysterious in her blood. When their two different worlds are trying to force them apart they find they need each other now more than ever before.
1. Chapter 1

_***Warning: Strong Language***_

_*This is a collaborative project! **BlackIndiaInk** and I will be writing this story together! Show her some love 'cause she's awesome!*_

**The Danger of Rushing**

**Chapter One**

College was supposed to be different. A new place, new people, life changing experiences, that is what Amy was promised. Yet, here she was feeling the same feelings that tortured her during high school. Change was a constant but this love was a fixed point of her existence that resisted the laws of nature. She looked over at Karma, who sat on the other side of the back seat.

She was smiling, animated as usual, chatting with Amy's mom about their new dorm and all the classes that she was excited to take. Irritation flickered inside Amy and she clamped down on the words that she wanted to say, biting them off before she could snap at the two most important people in her life. It wasn't their fault that she was in a foul mood.

She was just stressed. This was the weekend after the first week of classes and though she wanted nothing more than to slink into the back of the library on campus and avoid all the living, breathing blights of humanity that surrounded her; she was here pretending to have fun after a lunch date with Karma, Lauren and her Mom.

She rolled her eyes and looked out the window, thankful that they were on their way back to campus. She tried to think about classes and what she had to do to get ready to dive into the world of higher learning but it seemed impossible with the chattering going on next to her. Every word that Karma said alerted her finely tuned senses to pay attention because despite a ridiculous amount of soul searching and denial she was still hopelessly in love with her best friend.

Not that Karma knew that. She seemed content to ignore the signs and symptoms, choosing the status quo over the danger of an exploration of their relationship. Amy let her, knowing that she couldn't run away because she tried. Just being Karma's friend and the occasional object of her flirting was better than having no Karma at all.

As they drove through the school grounds it was impossible not to be buoyed by the spark of energy that a large college campus emanated. Amy glanced over one last time before promising herself to commit to the new life she could have. Perhaps, leaving high school behind would be the turning point. Something was going to break eventually, this much she knew.

Angsty thoughts fled as she stepped out of the SUV and onto the curb in front of their dorm. Lauren, Karma, and her mom came round the car to join her on the sidewalk still chatting.

"Well, girls, this is where I leave you," Farrah chirped.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's been fun or something." It wasn't fair, her mother was trying so hard to be supportive and connect with her, especially since she and Lauren had moved out. She got the impression that Farrah was getting a case of empty nest syndrome. She plastered a smile on her face with some effort. "Thanks, Mom." Everything she'd said was sincere but the smile was only a shell inside of which sat a mildly depressed girl whose brain was awash with competing sensibilities.

She leaned into the hug her mom offered her and drank it all in. There had always been a gulf between them mentally and emotionally but this was her mother. No matter what her ideals dictated; that bond could not be broken. Amy sniffed once, struck by the tenderness of her thoughts and leaned back a second later, unwilling to continue the intimate contact.

"We should go," she said, stepping away from the other women. The dorm loomed in front of them, all six floors of dark brick blocking the sun from view. Karma gave her a questioning look and turned back to Farrah.

"Thanks for lunch and I guess we will see you soon." She grabbed Lauren's arm and pulled her toward Amy. "What was that about," she whispered to Amy, while keeping hold of a struggling Lauren.

"Let me go!" Lauren pulled her arm free from Karma's grip and stood, feet planted on the walkway that led to the main dorm doors. "What the hell is wrong with you two. You're so weird." She stormed past them before stopping on the top step in front of the door and giving a coy wave to Farrah, innocence and charm oozing, before turning to open the door.

"Nothing," Amy replied darkly and followed Lauren into the building, leaving Karma on the sidewalk wondering what had really set her off this time.

She looked heavenward, hoping for clarity someday. The crazy ride that was their friendship never seemed to lack sparks of drama so she should expect these moments of dramaturgy. With a deep sigh, she took the steps slowly, hoping that she had at least left their dorm room door open.

Amy sat at her desk, slamming her headphones on and turning the music up loud. The best therapy for her was the right song and if she had just three and a half minutes to listen to the right thing she could be civil again and not a noxious bitch. Karma would be there soon and though the idea of being roommates had come naturally for them, she was now seeing the downfalls. As ideas went, this one was a powder keg waiting for a fuse.

The front door opened and closed, and Karma stood there just looking at Amy's back, wondering if they would ever get back to how it was before and knowing that it was an insane notion. Maybe if she kept going, pretending that there wasn't something between them, waiting for a catalyst to propel itself downward to a crash landing.

With an errant hand she swiped her hair back from her forehead and approached Amy, determined to get her back into a good mood. With gentle hands she reached up and pulled the headphones down to hang about Amy's neck. "Hey, weirdo, you promised to go to the activities fair with me, remember?" She nudged her best friend, watching Amy sway slightly, and turned on her brightest smile. It had never failed before and it didn't now.

The edges of Amy's mouth ticked up the tiniest bit and she let herself be charmed against her will. "I told you that was a waste of time. I'm so not joining a student organization." She still had to put up some kind of resistance even though it was useless.

"I know but what if I want to? You would just be going with me for moral support." She lowered her head and looked up at Amy her face resembling a hurt puppy. "Please? I'll buy you ice cream after."

Amy's resolve crumbled bit by, ever decaying, bit and she just sat there, Karma's allure tugging at her like a bewitching siren's song.

"Come on, you can't say no to chocolate, chocolate chip ice cream with walnuts and gummy bears." Karma threw out the last of her ammunition, knowing that mentioning Amy's favorite ice cream would end any objection she still held onto.

"Fine." Amy's face collapsed into acceptance. "It better be three scoops though." She started to get up. "And with hot fudge."

Karma's fist pumped into the air. "Yes!" She smirked and stood, turning primly on her heel and heading for the door. "Come on, we have to hurry before it gets too crowded."

With a shrug, Amy followed. "What the hell."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Outside, in the bustling hallway, Karma stared up at the open door with the two faded sister sevens that sat near the top of the wooden surface as plain and unassuming as any marker ever could be. She looked down at the silver keys in her hand, the ones that would mean home from now on. For at least three months, until Christmas, this would be her home with Amy.

It was already a home much more pleasant than the one she had been used to. If Amy was there, home would mean much more to her now. They'd always wanted to lived together. Always hoped. Things had changed some time ago but there was still so much love. It was enough to make her weep with the pleasantness of it all. She was filled to the brim with the happiness of a new beginning. She wanted to kiss her but she'd have to hold back.

"Ready?" Karma asked, as Amy stepped out through the door.

"Ready," Amy said, noticing something in Karma's gaze.

Neither of them knew where Lauren had run off to. She was out of the door almost as soon as she had entered. Amy had watched her run off without so much as a nod.

Down the hall, Karma walked quickly and Amy followed. They took the stairwell down and Amy whined the whole way. Once they hit through the stairwell doors and the fresh air met them Karma felt herself breathe it in. It was college life at long last. It smelt like freedom and independence, they were alone now finally. Together but alone.

Amy looked over to where the fair was. It took up the center of the college walk. People were shouting and singing. As they got near, Amy could see a band playing off to the side with bass guitars and trumpets and a girl holding a microphone, singing as the drums pounded on. It was the first day, her very first day. She found herself wishing that all the tv shows and films hadn't been exactly right about what college did look like. Cheap plastic tables were set up every three feet and behind them all stood students of varying styles and fashions, races and sexualities, purposes and motivations. It was enough to make her scream. Amy didn't need a reminder that people were all different even though they were the same. She knew enough with just Karma. Karma was all she'd ever want, all she'd ever need.

They walked slowly towards the circus and Amy felt her stomach turn. This was everything she hated. On the other side of the coin, Karma was singing inside with the common intrigue of it all.

_College courses, weird niche clubs, sororities, fraternities, diverse seminars, THIS WAS IT!_ The more Karma thought about it the more hungry she became. She was itching to start in the exploration that would change her for good. All through High School all she had heard from her parents was, "just wait 'til you get to college. That's where the fun begins!" It may have been cliché but she couldn't wait for it, she couldn't wait to begin.

Meanwhile, Amy trudged behind her, trying not to be seen by the weirdos behind the tables who wanted to enlist her into their little creep armies. She wasn't interested in joining anything. She was interested in being alone. While Karma had come to experience life, Amy had come to escape Bruce and Farrah. Going away to college was a gift. None of it was about learning. All of it was about the escape.

"Look at that," Karma nudged. "A club for Equestrians!" Amy hadn't been in love with horses since she was ten but Karma would never EVER let her forget it.

"Ha-ha," Amy fake-laughed. Her eyes fixed on an empty spot of grass off in the distance where it looked serene and dark and just perfect for her butt to sit down and be left alone. "I'm gonna go over there," she tried to escape.

"Ah-ah-ah. If you want ice cream you are doing this with me," Karma said, holding Amy by the crook of her arm and keeping her close.

"Hi there," a cheery voice said from off to the side. There was a girl there holding flyers. She had perfect black hair and the perfect body. She was wearing one of those shirts that was a little too tight and a little too low in the front for purely intentional reasons. Karma took one look at her and her heart skipped excitedly.

"Hi," Karma turned. Amy noticed right away that Karma also instantly dialed up her charm to catch this girl's interest. The girl looked so obvious to Amy, so lame. She was obviously part of a sorority, there was no doubt. Not only was she barbie-doll dressed, there were weird letters on her shirt, letters that could only mean one thing. It was a dead give-away and a warning sign. Amy rolled her eyes prematurely and tried to get Karma to let go of her arm but Karma was strong and she would not budge

"You seem nice." The peppy girl said.

"Yeah, I bet we do." Amy scoffed, hating every second.

"Ha! She's so funny!" Karma laughed, covering up for Amy's shit without a care. She was used to Amy trying to resist things and it didn't bother her at all to have a downer around. "I'm Karma and this is Amy."

"Karma, Amy," the girl nodded, checking them out. Amy wondered if she could tell her dimensions. That would be a creepy sorority girl thing. She looked at her skeptically as the girl pulled a pink flyer out of her stack and handed it to Karma. "Have you ever thought about joining a sorority?"

"Umm, not really," Karma confessed, looking down. Karma was actually a little scared of pledging allegiance to any one thing. Sororities always had in-fighting didn't they? She looked down at the flyer and tried to read it but Amy was fidgeting next to her. "Stop," she scolded absent-mindedly, tugging at Amy's arm. She was trying to read but it was hard with all the commotion.

"We're not joining your sorority," Amy said. She wanted the girl to walk away but the girl was in front of her table where she'd probably stay for the rest of the day. She was just standing there with her big boobs and staring at them like one of those Jehovah witness people who come to your door and never ever NEVER leave.

"I dunno Amy, this looks nice," Karma said. "They have a house and group outings and study groups and parties…" Karma obviously wasn't thinking about the things Amy would be looking for in a secret club: no members, no rules, no meetings, no problems.

"Well, if you're thinking of pledging come find me," the girl smiled. She was too pretty and Amy instantly loathed her. Pretty people were never really _that_ nice. There had to be some catch. "Oh wait, here," the girl said, walking over to the plastic table that obviously belonged to her sorority, which was hilariously called, Delta Delta Delta, it was like they didn't even try. She took a pen from a red-solo cup and jotted down a phone number, writing her name at the top. "I'd be happy to rep for you, Karma" the girl smiled. "My name's Ray and you seem like the kind of girl we're looking for."

Amy had to stifle a laugh. Ray was looking down at Karma like Karma was fresh meat. _I'd bet she'd love to reel you in_, Amy thought.

"Thanks," Karma beamed. "It was great to meet you."

"Likewise," Ray said, turning back to look for others she could recruit, pretty girls who showed off their curves, wanted to get with dumb guys, and at least tried to have bubbly personalities. Also file under: girls unlike Amy Raudenfeld.

"God, that was disgusting," Amy groaned.

"She was sweet," Karma blushed, trying not to feel happy. She couldn't even pretend that she wasn't happy about all that. Amy knew.

"You seem like the kind of girl we're looking for," Amy mocked in a soft husky tone. "What the fuck does that even mean?!" Her voice snapped back to it's natural state.

"It means she liked me."

"It means she liked those," Amy laughed, pointing down at Karma's boobs.

"Stop." Karma said, pulling Amy close to her again by the elbow and straightening her out. "Can you at least be civil for like two more minutes?! These people aren't going to want me if you're rolling your eyes and insulting their organizations right to their faces."

"They'd be idiots not to want you," Amy crooned lovingly, staring over at her like she usually did. Karma watched as Amy did that thing with her eyes that made her want to kiss her and slap her all at once. She was too cute to be flirting. They had problems, this was true.

"You're the worst." Karma smiled.

"Hey, do I know you?" It was a different girl now.

Amy felt cold fingers on her arm. She looked down to see manicured nails and a very pale hand.

"I don't think so," Amy said, stopping to look. The girl had a piercing in her nose and another in her eyebrow and she had short bleached blonde hair and a very angular face. She was actually quite adorable. But Amy couldn't think about that because she was obviously being physically touched by this random stranger.

"Nah, I think I do," the girl seemed certain.

"Where would I know you from? Did you go to Hester High?"

"Nope, it's something else."

"Oh, I get it, this is how you do it. Alright, go ahead," Amy stepped back and crossed her arms. This cute girl was about to pitch something. Karma looked between them intrigued.

"No, I'm not going to give you some stupid speech. You're one of us," the girl said, moving in front of Amy and looking her right in the eyes with a sort of glee that verged on maniacal.

"Weiiiiiird," Amy said.

"Look," the girl said, taking Amy's wrist without asking and sliding her hand down over Amy's palm.

When Amy looked down she saw what looked like ink on her skin. It was a jagged black mark. It almost looked like a squiggle or a fucked-up lightning bolt that swam out of her veins if that makes any sense.

"What the fuck?!" Amy huffed. She stared for a second longer and shook her head. It didn't look as crazy now; she must've just been tired.

"See," the girl smiled, crossing her arms and wanting to laugh.

"So what," Amy was pissed. "Great job asshole, you can force temporary tattoos onto people like some fucking eight year old child?! Is that supposed to be impressive?"

"Amy, calm down," Karma said, taking her hand in her own and pulling her back to her side.

"Try to fight it, it's the truth. It's in you."

"Alright Mr. Miagi. I think that's enough out of you. Fuck off." Karma tugged at her hand and turned her around. Something about that whole encounter was odd. Amy looked back over her shoulder and noticed another girl walking over to the blonde. They whispered to one another with their eyes glued on Amy's even now. The weirdest thing was that they were the kind of girls who didn't even look like they would be friends. Amy felt herself growing paranoid. If she saw them again she might yell at them irrationally or make a scene.

"She was cute," Karma smirked.

"Shut the fuck up, Karma." Amy spat, turning back around. She hated that Karma got the peppy booby girl with the normal sorority and usual fake personality while she herself got the dark magic chick who looked like she probably ate bloody red hearts in her off hours just for kicks. It was so typical of them. They were so fucking different and they were just ALWAYS being reminded. "I can't do this anymore," Amy shrugged, wanting to cry. It was just like High School. It was all still shit. And from day one, no less.

"Okay, fine… You did better than I thought you would," Karma laughed. She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and checked the time. "Mark that down as three minutes and twenty-eight seconds."

"YOU WERE TIMING ME?!" Amy groaned.

"You get one scoop," Karma raised a single finger and wagged it before Amy's eyes. Before they left she had calculated it out. If Amy could last four minutes she was going to give her two scoops and maybe sprinkles. Four minutes would've been fine. And if Amy had any more ice cream she would feel sick almost instantly anyway. Karma knew Amy well, she knew Amy wouldn't make it to six minutes out there on the walk with the college wolves and the normals. Six minutes would've granted her the entire Ice Cream bar though. Karma would've bought her the whole world. Truth be told, she'd still rather be doing all of this with Amy. Maybe Karma had already known, even back in the dorm, that three minutes would be perfectly enough.

She smiled quite pleased with herself. She had Amy on her arm and a new number in her pocket, a potential connection, a bright life void of parents and all of her notorious Hester High mistakes.

"Fine, whatever." Amy sighed. "I hate this shit, Karma. I just got marked by a sexy blonde ninja."

"You've got a girlfriend already, it's so cute," Karma teased. "I can't wait to tell Lauren. Oh gosh, what'll she say," Karma sighed, hugging Amy's arm.

Speak of the devil, far off in the distance Amy could make out Lauren's form standing tall even though she was surprisingly short. Of course she was there too.

"You can stay if you want, I didn't mean to ruin it-"

"Shhhh," Karma smiled. "It's old hat. Everybody knows the real fun happens at the parties."

"Uggg," Amy groaned. Thinking about parties was the last thing she wanted to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Part I**

The ice cream parlor was inside the student union and one floor up so Amy only had to suffer a ten minute walk, listening to Karma chatter on about Ray and her sorority as she read the pamphlet that she had taken from the table. Amy was able to space out and concentrate on keeping her face straight, too bad she couldn't keep herself straight though. Then, she would have never fallen for Karma.

With a derisive chuckle that fit right into Karma's story, she looked up to find them right in front of the Freaky Frozen Treats ice cream shop. The anticipation of that frozen chocolate concoction she was promised made her mouth water. Without further thought she opened the door and hurried inside.

A bored looking guy was sitting behind the small counter and he only grudgingly pushed himself off the back wall to come to the counter and serve them.

"Welcome to Freaky Frozen Treats," he recited in a flat tone. "What can I get you?"

Normally Amy would have been highly amused by the greeting but ice cream was her sole concern. Only Karma's soft giggle broke her out of her death glare at the ice cream case.

"What?" She looked back.

"Nothing," Karma said. "You're just adorable."

Amy's brow furrowed. "Yeah right, and that's a terrible word to describe me. Sarcastic bitch is more like it." She glanced up at the guy behind the counter. "One scoop of Chocolate, Chocolate Chip with walnuts, gummy bears, and hot fudge." She pointed to her side with a thumb. "And whatever she wants."

With a laugh, Karma stepped forward and looked over the ice creams. "I'll take a scoop of Berry Berry with cherries and caramel on top."

"Ugh, really?" Amy was horrified.

"Yes, really." Karma just smiled and waited patiently for her ice cream.

After they were served and Karma paid, they sat at the corner table, Amy with her back to the wall and Karma facing her. "Are you okay?" She licked her spoon clean and stuck it back in the ice cream. "You just seem kind of pissed off. I mean, I know we just started school and everything is crazy. You just seem more… something than usual," Karma finished. It was hard to find a word for how Amy had been behaving.

"I'm fine," Amy mumbled between spoonfuls of ice cream. "I just don't like change. You know that." Her voice was matter of fact, not betraying the edge that she felt inside. She knew something was weird but there was no way she was going to tell Karma about it. It wasn't how she operated. Karma was the one that spilled her guts and she was the one who kept it all inside.

"Let's just finish this stuff and go back to the dorm. I want to take a nap before the dining hall opens for dinner." Pushing away Karma's concerns was the only way she knew how to deal with it. Otherwise she would have to reveal more of herself than she ever wanted to, exposing herself just like before. She had already been shot down by Karma once and that was an experience that would never happen again because she would keep her mouth shut this time. It couldn't happen again.

**Part II**

It was weird knowing that they lived together now. When they got back to the room Amy was her same pouty self. They changed into pj's way early and watched syndicated reruns of Friends in the common-room on the couch.

"You're still not here," Karma said. She had been lying on Amy and laughing every now and then. They always loved Friends. It was a good one too. It was The One With The Routine. Karma loved it because her and Amy had a routine. Just like Ross and Rachel on New Year's Rockin' Eve. Karma and Amy had their Straight-Up dance and it would always be their Straight-Up dance.

"I'm here," Amy said absently. She wanted to comfort Karma but how long could she just be this stable thing when she was breaking inside?

"Was it that girl down there, the one with the hoodoo?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Amy confessed.

"But you're sad."

"I've been sad."

"Since when?" Karma asked. _Since my Mother's wedding? Since Liam? Since I told you I loved you and all you said was: not like that?! _Thoughts raced through Amy's head. All the things she wished she could be able to say.

"Do you miss your mom?" _Now that was a joke, _Amy thought.

"It's less complicated here but somehow more complicated. I dunno..." Amy didn't want to look down, Karma was laying on her and holding her hand. She had been laughing while Amy rubbed her back and played with her hair. They were married but they didn't have sex. They were in love but they didn't kiss.

"What can I do?" Karma asked. Amy got in these moods sometimes, they were dark sad little moods. She would be grumpy and angry, withdrawn and sometimes she'd cry. Karma walked in on her once on a day like today. She hadn't known it was something she did. She hadn't known that Amy cried sometimes all alone. But Karma guessed that was probably true of most people. She herself had cried alone. She'd rather cry with Amy though, she'd rather cry like this with Amy holding her and the tv on to distract her and muffle her sobs. It hurt to know that Amy wouldn't come and find her when she needed to cry.

"If you could do anything it'd be done," Amy said.

"You want to cry, don't you?" Karma asked. Ever since that day it was like she just knew.

"Please don't, you're making it harder," Amy shrugged.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Karma knew that Amy cried but she had no idea why. These moods never seemed to be brought on by one particular thing. When they'd happen she'd try to find some common thread but there was nothing. She didn't know that it was all to do with her and nothing to do with anything else. How could she know? Amy never spoke of it after the wedding.

"Don't go," Karma said, feeling Amy stir beneath her. She sat up a bit and hugged herself up to Amy's body with her arm around her waist and her head in the crook of Amy's neck. "Just hold me for a little bit? Please?" Karma begged. When Amy was sad, she too wanted to cry. She breathed her friend in and felt her soft body in her arms. If there was something she could do, she'd do it. Anything.

**Part III**

Amy awoke on the couch. She didn't remember falling asleep. The smell of eggs and the sound of sizzling filled the air.

"What do you mean she grabbed her?" Amy heard Lauren's voice.

"She was crazy, this like pixie girl. She just grabbed Amy's arm and told her there was something in her blood."

"God, that's insane. I swear she's a freak magnet."

"I can hear you," Amy groaned.

"Yay! You're awake!" Karma ran over to her and pulled her up off the couch, hugging her close. Amy let her arms dangle helplessly and wished to be anywhere else.

"Breakfast time, beastly," Lauren joked, licking syrup off her finger and setting a plate down at the table.

Amy looked to the table and saw a plate full of french toast and eggs and a tall glass of orange juice just for her.

"It's not my birthday, what's happening?!"

"It's a welcome home breakfast!" Lauren said. "A christening!" Karma and Lauren were both dressed in gym clothes.

"What about you?"

"You were sleeping forever. We're going to the gym."

"Fine," Amy said.

"I knew you wouldn't want to go," Karma whispered close into her ear so that Lauren wouldn't hear it.

"Good," Amy said, filling her mouth so that she wouldn't have to talk.

"Enjoy," Karma said, hugging her from behind and kissing the top of her head, breathing her in.

They were gone quickly and Amy was alone. She ate fast and opened all the windows since the dorm smelt like fresh paint. For a long time she just stared out the window and watched the other kids play frisbee and yell at each other down on the grass.

Around 9am a suspicious knock came at her door. She walked slowly towards it hoping that in that time, whoever it was would just walk away.

"Who is it?" She asked. But no one answered and no one moved. She pressed her forehead to the door and held at the knob. "Who's there?" She asked again.

"It's me, from yesterday."

"Who from yesterday?" Amy knew it was that girl. She'd never forget that sweet voice and how it said such random things.

"The tattoo freak. The one you called Mr. Miagi. Look I just want to talk to you."

"Why?" Amy asked. "How did you find me? What the hell?" She didn't want to open the door, that girl had been cute but she'd been strange as hell and Amy didn't want complication.

"Can I talk to you please, I feel weird out here in the hall. I'm not scary."

"That's what murders say," Amy said, realizing her own stupidity and unlocking the door to swing it open and lean on the frame. "Why should I let you in?"

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't think you'd be touchy."

"I'm not touchy," Amy fought.

"You flinched when I touched you and you flipped out about the blood."

"Are you listening to yourself?! I don't know you and your hands were on me. I don't know you. And AGAIN you are talking to me about my blood," Amy raised her eyebrows, was this chick really that unaware?

"Can I please come in, I just want to talk."

"I just don't get it, what's your deal?!"

"My deal? I don't have a deal."

"Why are you stalking me? Why are you here?"

"I know you're like me," the girl said, reaching her hand out to touch Amy yet again.

"Whoa, hey. I don't know what kind of websites you're on. I may be into girls but I'm not looking. You're cute but my life is a mess and I can't right now-"

"Whoa, hey, it's not about that," the girl blushed. "Wait, you like girls?" She smiled happily.

"Stop it," Amy said, trying to hide her own bashful smile. "You turn your ass around and you get the hell away from my room."

"Well now… I don't think I want to," she blushed more, obviously flirting.

"Fine, shit, get the fuck in here." Amy yanked the girl by the elbow and pulled her in slamming the door. "Go ahead, talk," Amy said. "You're obviously going to stalk me until you've said what you want to say, so go ahead."

"There aren't that many people like us," the girl said.

"I think there are more than you think," Amy judged. They were both talking about something else.

"What's your name?" The girl asked.

"What's your fucking name?!" Amy was still pissed.

"I'm Clarice."

"Well, hello Clarice, the girl who likes lesbians and blood and touching other people who don't like to be touched."

"Hi," Clarice said awkwardly. "You still haven't told me your name."

"You found my fucking room and you don't even know my name?"

"I did a spell."

"What like a pervert?! Why would you tell me that?!" _A spell_, that was some sort of sexual innuendo, Amy was sure.

"No, no," Clarice squinted her eyes. She didn't mean to be coming off so unalterably queer but Amy was hot and feisty and she was nothing like anyone she had known or wanted to meet. "A spell. Like, you know, like witchcraft?"

"You just get stranger and stranger," Amy stared, looking her up and down and wondering how someone that cute could go so horribly wrong in the head.

Amy heard the lock click and panicked.

"Awww, fuck, come on," Amy said, pulling Clarice into her room. "Shhhh, you're not here," Amy breathed, closing Clarice in and walking out to the living room.

"You guys weren't gone long."

"And here I thought you'd miss us," Lauren joked.

"Anything happen?"

"Ha! Good one Karma!" Lauren laughed. "Amy's life is dull and unsurprising. You know that!"

Amy heard her door click open and shrugged.

"GODDAMMIT!" She yelled, looking over at her door.

"Sorry, I can't stay," Clarice said. She was standing there all innocent and cute like she hadn't just been a super creep and stalked her way into Amy's life AGAIN!

"What the fuck?!" Lauren spat. She couldn't contain it. She walked quickly into the living room so that she could see this person who was already in her house. "Who the hell is this?!"

"Lauren, Karma, this is Clarice."

"Hi," Clarice said, holding her hand up in a timid wave.

"Mr. Miagi?" Karma asked, smiling almost baffled. How the hell did Mr. Miagi convince Amy to open the door?

"Yup, that's me," Clarice raised her eyebrows, she'd just accept it for now.

"Look Amy, I didn't mean to interrupt. I left my number on your bed. Call me when you can, please? It really is important."

"Yeah, whatever," Amy shrugged.

They all watched as Clarice slunk out of the room feeling awkward and unwelcome.

"What?! She couldn't use Facebook?!" Lauren squealed.

With a shake of her head and the intention to ignore Lauren, Amy retreated to her room and shut the door soundly. She leaned back against it and took a deep breath. This was starting to get a lot stranger than their encounter at the activities fair but there was an aspect about Clarice that connected with something deep inside her. It was unsettling but not important. She tossed the thought aside when a knock sounded at the door.

"Amy?" The muffled voice could belong to no one else.

Arguing with Karma about letting her in would be a waste of energy so she turned and opened the door. "Hey," she said through the crack.

"Are you going to let me in?" Karma's eyebrow raised in expectation.

Amy waffled for a moment even though she knew the answer. "Fine," she replied and pulled the door open, retreating to the bed while Karma came in. Except her retreat had been in vain because that's exactly where Karma sat, right beside her on the boldly striped comforter she had picked out not two months ago. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay and what was that girl, um… Clarice, doing here?"

She began to show signs of excitement. Something that Amy had to smash right away. "She creepily tracked me down and then came over. I had no idea she was coming and I hope I never see her again." She shuddered with the realization that her statement wasn't exactly true. It felt good to have someone interested in her, even if it was in a way that made her uncomfortable.

Her behavior since they'd gotten to school had been a little erratic and gruff. Not being sure how to fix it, she resorted to saying nothing to Karma that could make up for it. Dredging up old crap they had left behind or let fester wasn't on her to do list.

But Karma's concern always made her want to spill her guts and that just added to the frustration. How could Karma not know? Amy said it every day in each non-verbal message and in every word that she said to deny her feelings.

"You just seemed off so I wanted to check on you." Karma's genuine words were touching but they had no effect on the outcome She reached over for Amy's hand, the physical connection reminding her that they had a friendship that was different from normal relationships between two girls. It went somewhere beyond societal norms but she wouldn't give it a label. Karma just wanted them to stay like they were. That was the safest way to keep Amy with her.

"I'm fine," Amy answered, knowing that the lie was just one more on top of the ever growing pile of fallacies between them. If she could just get to tomorrow at least there would be class to distract her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**New Magic**

**Part I**

Macroeconomics wasn't a class that anyone liked, except for Amy. She loved it. That's why she was the only one sitting in the front row and paying complete attention to the drab middle aged professor next to the slide projector. The math made sense and the complexity kept her mind distracted from the weirdness that was her life right now.

The unfortunate thing about it was that class always ended at some point. So, when the professor wrapped up his lecture she gathered her notebook reluctantly and shoved it into her bag. Now, she would have to go back to the dorm room where Karma would be. Seeing Karma wasn't really on top of her list of wants right now. Something stupid might fly out of her mouth and she would feel even worse than she already did.

So, she started toward the dining hall to have an early dinner, though she'd probably be forced to go again when Karma wanted to eat. It wasn't far, just two buildings over. She walked through the sliding doors and surveyed the lines. The other advantage to eating early was avoiding the rush. Everything would be fresher and she wouldn't have to stand in line and listen to the idiots to be found among her fellow students talk about their boyfriends or how drunk they got at the last party.

She picked up a to-go bowl of chili and a small salad and made way to the register. After she swiped her student ID to pay, she found an empty table in the corner and sat down, pulling her water bottle out of her bag and sitting it next to her food. Last but not least, she gently lifted her copy of The Bell Jar out of her messenger bag and sat it down on the table to read.

After putting her earbuds in and pressing play, she was ready to eat. The chili was good. She almost doubted it was actually from a cafeteria. She took a swig of water to fend off the heat from the spices and flipped open the book. One paragraph in she noticed movement, casting a vague signal to her brain.

She looked up and jumped when someone sat down opposite her. Chili flew off the spoon and landed on her shirt, one bean sliding down and plopping back onto the table. "What the hell?"

"Amy, hi," Clarice said. With her hidden motives, Clarice could hardly care about the chili on Amy's shirt or the upset expression on Amy Raudenfeld's face. Amy who now sat across from her already seething and altogether uninterested in her sudden and unexpected company, she obviously wasn't in the mood to be placating adorable strangers but Clarice couldn't mind because her business was more important than social niceties like allowing complete strangers their own personal space and much needed solitude. There would be other days for niceties. Today was for life-changing events. Clarice felt it in her bones just sitting across from her. It was like she was almost vibrating internally, just humming to life in Amy's presence. She would explain if given time. But time was necessary and the time was now.

"Fuck," Amy muttered, taking a napkin up to her shirt and trying to swallow the chili that she no longer had any interest in, given her company.

"And, you're already mad," Clarice noted out loud.

"Go ahead, sit," Amy joked, trying not to look at her. "No, no need to ask, go ahead!"

Just then Amy caught sight of Karma entering the cafeteria through the automatic doors.

"DAMMIT!" She cursed loudly, throwing her fist down on the table and frightening Clarice who had just sat down.

"Are you okay?" Clarice asked.

"Not really, no," Amy said, trying to duck. Karma would find her. Karma always found her.

"Do you… Are you…" Clarice caught sight of Karma and noticed the way Amy ducked. "If you need some place to go we can make something up," Clarice said, resting her hand on top of Amy's and feeling as Amy flinched at her touch. She flinched but surprisingly, Amy didn't pull her hand away. Instead she simply left it there and fought off the urge since, in all their chance meetings, Clarice had only ever tried to be nice.

"Uh… Fine, sure," Amy relented. Clarice may be a weirdo but at least she could get her away from Karma for a little bit. Trying to hide from Karma Ashcroft was becoming a regular chore. "How do we?" Amy looked at Clarice with panic in her eyes as Karma approached. They had no time to invent a story. They'd have to wing it and hope it all worked out.

"Amy! Hi! I thought you'd be here," Karma said.

"Hello again," Clarice smiled sweetly. She hadn't realized but her hand was still resting pleasantly on top of Amy's, just sitting there as if it belonged.

"Ummm, hi," Karma said, judging her but trying not to. It seemed sort of audacious for Clarice to just be talking to her like they knew each other. But, since Karma was a friendly person, she really did want to know her. That is unless...

Amy saw where Karma's eyes were locked and she moved her hand away from Clarice's and tucked it nervously under the table trying to seem less suspect and more normal than she ever really could be. It was like she had been caught in something but it wasn't real. She didn't know Clarice and it hadn't been her who had grasped at Clarice's hand. Amy wished to know what Karma was thinking. Something in her had obviously been affected by that simple sight of Amy with some other girl at a table.

"You could've texted me, ya know. I was hungry too," Karma half-smiled. She was trying not to feel anger.

It wasn't lost on Clarice that she didn't get a very friendly hello from Amy's roommate. She took note of it and moved on. Watching these two was pretty enjoyable. They were like a couple only not. There was definitely something there and Clarice wanted to know everything.

"Sorry, I was busy. Clarice and I-"

"We have a project," Clarice said simply. Amy was jealous of how relaxed Clarice seemed. Nothing bothered her. Nothing scared her. She was sweet too. _How the hell does she do that?! _ Amy thought.

"Oh…" Karma said. _And there she goes, just talking like we're all friends…_ It was Karma thinking now and feeling jealous and almost scared at this new random closeness Amy obviously had with this strange girl. This girl who had been in their apartment. This girl who had even been in Amy's room. _Clarice and I? Since when did this start?!_

"Microeconomics!" Amy exclaimed. It was enough to clue Clarice in and create a believable backstory.

"You're in that class too?" Karma asked. She was suspicious of it but she tried to act hopeful. It seemed like a set-up or something more. _And why had they been touching?!_ That was all Karma could think.

"Yeah, at least for now... I might drop," Clarice laughed. She tucked her fingers behind her ear like she used to. Clarice still wasn't used to being without her long blonde hair. She had just cut it a month ago and she was still falling into her old habits of wanting to touch at it and tug. It was half the reason she cut it off. People treated her differently now, they thought of her differently. They didn't expect her to be a certain way and there had been things she was trying to ward off, like the way the boys used to stare or the way other girls seemed to loathe her before she even spoke. Not that Karma and Amy were really treating her any different now but at least now it had nothing to do with her hair and all to do with her attitude and her certain way of butting into their lives unannounced and demanding a minute of their time just to talk, just a minute.

"Oh…" Karma said again, thrown aback. First Amy didn't text. Now Amy was with this girl again. And they had been… _Touching… _

Amy watched as Karma seemed to stare down at that empty place on the table where both of their hands had just been.

"Are you okay?" She asked. She couldn't help but notice the way Karma was suddenly a lot more serious than usual. It wasn't like her to be pensive so Amy noticed it right away.

"Yeah, yeah," Karma shook her head, shaking it off. For some reason she couldn't think straight. It could've been Clarice or maybe it was the way Amy had been distant and grumpy? She wasn't sure what it was, to be honest, but she was starting to feel like an unwanted presence in Amy's life. And, more than anything, that really scared her.

"I hate to be a pain, Amy," Clarice butt in, putting her hand on her again and surprising Amy greatly with that soft touch to her bare arm. "We've got to get this done though. I don't have another time this week. I just don't."

Smooth as melted chocolate. Clarice had succeeded where Amy had failed time and time again. _To lie to Karma Ashcroft? Oh, what a gift that would be!_ Amy thought.

"Oh," Amy said. "Yeah, okay," she looked nervously at Karma and then back to Clarice.

"It's just a report," Clarice said.

"Uh, huh," Karma nodded. She couldn't care anymore. All she cared about was why this was happening. It all felt staged. Karma couldn't possibly believe that any of this was true. She was sure that Clarice had snuck into that class to get close to Amy. She was sure of it. She just needed to find out why.

"Can I talk to you a sec?" Amy asked, looking back up at Karma and seeing something in her that made her nervous but also sad. "Just a minute?" Amy asked back at Clarice. "Wait here." To Clarice, it was more of an order than a question. Clarice would stay whether Amy wanted her to or not.

Clarice nodded in agreement but she honestly couldn't care less. These girls were pretty strange. High-strung, attached at the hip, there was something off about them too and Clarice found that mystery almost enticing. It was weird to want to know everything about them after only seeing them twice. But Clarice was sure it was probably just one of those gay things. They were probably a couple or something. Or maybe they used to be? She didn't know what it was but it was sweet to watch them. They cared for each other, somehow, in every little thing that they did. Clarice watched and tried not to stare. She only wished she had that with someone, at least once.

Amy stood and took Karma's hand, she led her away from the table so that she could talk to her off by the windows alone where no one would hear or judge or watch them and make them nervous.

"Sorry, I didn't know how to tell you."

"It's no big deal," Karma said. She couldn't look at Amy for some reason but she didn't want to think about it. Amy watched as Karma crossed her arms and avoided all eye-contact. She was doing that thing where she pretends to be okay.

"Karma, you're obviously upset," Amy said with a soft hand on Karma's waist and her eyes both searching to be seen by her.

"It's not that hard to shoot me a text," Karma explained.

"What are you my mother now?!" Amy joked coldly. It was irrational but she kinda felt like being mean.

"No!" Karma scoffed. How annoying to be questioned about this. How annoying to be best friends with someone who constantly treats you like crap and all at random. "I'm just saying. We always eat together and now we're not. A heads up would've been nice." It really wasn't irrational and she kept telling herself that. But she too had her random bouts of foolishness and mood swings. Not lately, of course, but before. She had put Amy through a lot if their long and jointed life together.

"I'm sorry, you're right," Amy relented. "School just started and I'm already stressed."

"Hey, Aims…" Karma said, looking up curiously. "Why were you touching?" It was itching at her, that thought. She had to ask and she had to ask now before Amy had a chance to think or explain it away. Amy couldn't lie on the spot so this was Karma's chance to try and get the truth.

"Huh?" Amy didn't know what to say. She felt herself to look back at Clarice embarrassed and not at all pleased.

"Back there… At the table?" Karma was optimistic but mostly for show. She didn't trust Clarice for some reason, though she couldn't put a pin in it just yet.

"Oh that?" Amy grimaced, "I dunno… She's weird." Karma watched as Amy shook it all off.

"Oh, okay, well. Don't get too stressed, okay?" From what she deduced, Karma was almost certain that Amy was devoid of feelings for this girl. She was just as nervous as she ever was and just as upset. College had not been fun yet for her and Karma was certain. She only wished she could change that but Amy would not let her try and that was sure.

"K," Amy relaxed. Karma was okay now, she was okay with it all. There would be a moment to breathe and relax. Even if it was a moment filled with strange stalker Clarice, it would be a moment none-the-less.

"See you soon?" Karma asked, her eyes finally agreeing to meet Amy's and see, her for exactly who she was, her good friend.

"Yeah, soon!" They did live together. Amy wondered if Karma remembered.

"K." She walked away and Amy just watched. Was she not even hungry? Who knows, maybe she'd come back with Lauren. Or maybe they'd cook something without her?

Amy was too stressed to think on it. She didn't want to dwell in Karma-land where everything felt complicated and stressful and unrequited and just messy.

**Part II**

Back at the table Clarice was trying to pretend she wasn't curious. She'd look down at her nails and play with her phone. The girls spent an awful long time slowly chatting by the window. Since Clarice didn't know them it was much more fun to see them as ex-lovers than friends. It made more sense and all their body language seemed to agree. Something about those two just seemed _hungry_. And Clarice could just feel that energy when she was near them, she could breathe it in and feel it as it filled her up and invigorated her. It was magnetic. _They_ were magnetic.

"Sorry," Amy said, heading back to sit down near her.

"It's fine really," Clarice smiled, touching her again.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Amy asked.

"Doing what?"

"You keep touching me," she seemed uncomfortable with it and Clarice suddenly noticed.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, but why?" Amy wanted to know. She really did. No one touched her like that, no one but Karma.

"I dunno why, honestly. I just touch you I guess. Maybe I want to? Who knows..." Clarice shrugged and looked away.

"So why are you looking for me? Why do you need to talk?" Amy tried to make sense of her but no sense could be had until Clarice said what she had come here to say.

"We don't have to talk if you need to be alone. That was intense back there," Clarice smiled. It was hard to pretend she wasn't intrigued and Amy could see that she was interested, it was plain as day.

"We're just friends," Amy said, seeing that look in Clarice that look that spoke volumes. _She thinks we're girlfriends,_ Amy thought. It was laughable but it also hurt. Amy wished it was true but it wasn't. She swallowed her pain and looked up at the girl across from her curiously.

"Yeah, sure," Clarice shook. "Wish I had a friend like that," there was something about them that just screamed _LOVERS_. Clarice had to stifle her own laugh that came out of her without her control.

"Why are you laughing?!" Amy was pissed.

"It's nothing, just a joke I heard earlier."

"God, you're so fucking weird," it could be true. Clarice could just be a nutter.

"Thanks, I guess," Clarice said.

"Come on, tell me what's up." Amy tried to get comfortable but she wasn't comfortable so it wasn't going to happen. Clarice watched her shift nervously in her chair.

"Will you calm down?! I know you think I'm a stalker but I'm just a fucking girl. Flesh and blood. Thoughts in my head. Just like you," she stressed, for once finding a bit of annoyance with how Amy had treated her up until now.

"Okay?" Amy wanted to scream. She had escaped Karma but now she had to deal with this big fucking mystery. This cute girl who followed her around and tried to make her feel insane. It was fucking grating to be thinking about it all the time. What did Clarice want? Why was she here? Did she do this to other girls on campus or was Amy the only one? Was this some form of freakshow hazing or was there a point to it all? WOULD SHE EVER FUCKING KNOW?!

Amy sat and waited impatiently. She was at least grateful to not be thinking about Karma. But for some odd reason, Clarice still wasn't talking.

"Will you fucking tell me what you want?!" Amy exploded in her frustration. She was beginning to act like Lauren.

"Whoa!" Clarice said, her calm demeanor pierced for just a moment as she stared back at Amy and saw how easily frazzled she was. This would not bode well for later. Clarice took note. "Okay, geez, but…" She was so hesitant.

"What?" Amy asked.

"You're just not going to believe me. I know you won't."

"So what's your plan? Sit quietly near me, saying nothing, and hoping one day I just might trust you?!" The sarcasm in her voice was so disgustingly thick that Amy even hated to hear herself.

"No, no. I'm just… I don't know how to say this in a way that makes sense."

"Maybe you should just start talking," Amy pushed, staring over at her like she was dealing with a timid child instead of a grown ass adult. They were college students. This was college. ADULTS go to college. Not kids. ADULTS.

Clarice looked around, tapping the table with her nails. "Not here," She met Amy's eyes. "Come on I know a place we can go."

Amy opened her mouth, about to protest but instead she just let out a long, doleful sigh. "Fine." She waited for Clarice to get up and then followed her. Karma was still on her mind, like always. She was obsessively going over their encounter in her mind while trying to process this whole new aspect to her life.

They exited the cafeteria and walked through the student union. Eyes seem to be drawn to Clarice, and Amy by association. She felt like they were being followed by that collective attention all the way out the door. There was a certain exotic appeal to Clarice's presence. It was part of what irked her so much. The distraction from her surly inner turmoil was unwelcome.

Autumn was evident once they were in the open air. The cool breeze soothed Amy's ruffled feelings and the overcast sky gave her some solace. She caught up with Clarice as she walked with purpose across the quad and into a small, tree lined path. Ahead, tall brick buildings closed in close, creating a tunnel effect around the walkway. Clarice's hand brushed against Amy's bare arm and she felt that familiar flash of something intangible.

"Where are we going?" She asked as much to distract herself as to determine their destination. "I've never been this way before."

Clarice just smiled. She always seemed to know something that Amy didn't as if she was laughing at her somehow. It was one of those frustrating qualities. Yet, she still followed the girl as if some power beyond them drew her forward into the unknown.

"It's not much farther." Clarice looked over and reached out, pushing an errant leaf off of Amy's jacket, but then she remembered their earlier conversation. "Sorry, I just… can't seem to stop touching you."

Amy shrugged, not even bothering to turn. Now that she expected it, the touching wasn't exactly horrible. In front of them the path veered and then opened up into a small courtyard framed in between four buildings.

They passed from the sidewalk onto a large circular center block with a dark marble diamond design set in the middle. Paths branched off from the center circle of concrete at evenly spaced intervals. Each one disappeared from sight into the wooded area surrounding the buildings.

As they entered the center diamond Amy felt something pull at her body like a veil slipping over her. She had entered something and a discomfort settled over her. "What is this pace?" The crackle of static tickled her fingertips and danced across the ends of her hair.

The air seemed to sparkle around them but not visibly. Clarice sat down in the middle of the diamond. "Shh, can't you feel it," she said, looking up at Amy.

Standing still, Amy swiveled her head to look around. "No, what are you talking about?" She shifted, trying to not feel what Clarice was talking about but she couldn't. "This is weird. What the hell?"

"Just sit down," Clarice prompted. "I promise nothing bad is going to happen."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Um, no, you expect me to just trust you?"

With a chuckle, Clarice leaned up and patted the ground across from her. "What choice do you have?" Her innocent aura and the expectation she exuded convinced Amy. She huffed but she eventually sat in the spot indicated, crossing her legs like Clarice.

"Now what?" She asked.

Clarice reached over and took Amy's hands. "Okay, now close your eyes and clear your mind. This is a sacred space so nothing will interrupt us. You can just feel the trees around us the ground beneath us, and the breeze blowing. Concentrate on that and I'll show you something really cool."

She resisted as long as possible, keeping her eyes open until Clarice's stare made her close them. "This is stupid." Then she did as instructed to her dismay. The push of Clarice's will seemed to win her over, defeating her cynical doubt. It pulled her along so that she felt as if she was losing control of herself and the situation. Yet, she still did it; felt every particle of herself being absorbed into the world around them with little effort from her mind.

The space and Clarice's concentration pushed her into a new place mentally, relaxing her to the experience. There was a web of something otherworldly about the air around them. Soon she could see something in her mind, an image of a flame. It grew and grew until it consumed her vision. Alarm coursed through her but Clarice's hands tightened around hers and it soothed her concern away.

It was as if she was walking towards the flame in her mind's eye until she was just at the edge and she could see Clarice standing on the other side, her hands over the fire as if to warm them.

"Hi," Clarice said in her mind.

Amy cleared her throat. "Um, hi?"

The image of Clarice in her mind turned over her hand to reveal a pile of blue powder in her hand. She threw it into the flame and it lept up with a poof, dark blue smoke rolling into her field of vision. The forest around them was obscured by it and she heard the whisper of Clarice across from her.

"Open your eyes."

Amy did and instantly she tried to jerk her body back. There was a small flame licking the air between them. "What the fuck?"

Clarice held onto Amy to keep the flame going. "This is what I was trying to tell you about, Amy." She sent soothing feelings through their connection. "You have magic inside of you. Just like me."

"What the fuck?" Amy repeated the phrase and pulled her hands away with all the force she could muster. "Get the hell away from me!" Without a glance back she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could. The space at the edge of the circle seemed to part for her, magic flowing over her skin as it did. She kept going, breaking through the circle and back onto the path.

Whatever she had just seen struck her to the quick. In her soul she felt it reverberate within her as if the flame still warmed her. The lingering tingle of it made her run the whole mile back to the dorm. _This is not happening. _The thought cycled through her as she stopped breathless in front of the dorm entrance. Fear gripped her and she glanced back the way she had come. No, she had not been followed. If she ever saw Clarice again, she had no idea what she would do, but running was high on the list.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**A Flicker**

**Part I**

Amy was just about to stop herself in the hall. She needed to rest a little so that Karma wouldn't wonder why she was out of breath and white as ghost. Just as she was ready to halt she ran into Karma and almost knocked her down.

"Ah, fuck!" Amy cried, fumbling to catch the basket that Karma had clutched in her hands. The basket had been filled with miscellaneous clothing. Some were Amy's and some were hers. When she was tense and frustrated she always did tend to clean. Amy caught a few pairs of her own clean underwear in midair as they flew from the basket and down towards the floor. As she reached to grasp them she knocked Karma a little more and tried to catch herself as she hobbled over into her. They both came tumbling down because of the weight of Amy's own clumsy body.

"Shit!" Karma yelled. They both tried to stop it but the basket dropped to the ground and flipped over, sending all of their clean clothes straight onto the floor.

"Amy?!" Karma said, looking back with laughter in her eyes as she realized who it had been.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry," Amy said, collecting herself as she gathered the clothes up one piece at a time and began to throw them all back into the basket as quickly as possible in her haste to get inside and out of the hallway where Clarice could surely come find her if she wanted to. For all she knew Clarice was still on her tail, chasing her with her creepy mind tricks and insanely calm way of stalking. She was like fucking Pepe Lepue, that damn love-sick skunk in those old cartoons. Calm as ever but somehow fast as a fox and cunning too, just easily catching her prey with an amorous zest.

To put it mildly, Amy couldn't help but feel hunted. Nervously she stared behind her and wondered impatiently, _is she coming? Is she near?_

Karma watched, noticing her mood. Amy seemed frantic and, if possible, maybe scared. But she was so lovely at night after running with her hair all a mess. Karma couldn't help but revel in the sight of her. She missed her while she was away.

Amy was moving so quickly and scanning the hall, avoiding Karma but not like she usually did.

"You're sweating," Karma said. "Where were you?"

"I-I had that project, remember?" Amy avoided the question and kept on scooping up the clothes. She was so nervous and distracted that she didn't even noticed Karma's quizzical stare and the way she was marveling as she surveyed her openly without a care in the world.

"Did that project involve running? Look at you, you're all pale and clammy." Karma was still smiling because Amy was acting strange. Not to mention that was the most concrete physical contact the two of them had experienced together in possibly weeks so it felt like a rush, just like old times. Karma grabbed at Amy's arm playfully and felt it hot and damp beneath her fingers. She wanted to touch her, clasp onto her, feel her there with her hands, play with her.

Amy shook her off almost violently.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," Amy spat.

"Fine," Karma said, trying not to be coarse. She hated this new grumpy Amy. Things had been different ever since Hester ended and Karma didn't know why. She had an inkling but she didn't really know why. They had always been so close but Amy had started acting cold towards her, skittish and sometimes violent. It was like she was changing into a grumpy werewolf or something and at times that made Karma laugh but right now it troubled her, it really did.

Once the clothes were all collected Amy picked the basket up and walked it to the door, throwing the door open and marching it inside.

Karma followed curiously wondering what had crawled up her butt. Amy was grumpier than usual and sweaty and she had been hanging out with that attractive weird girl who looked a lot like Dianna Agron, cute as a fucking button but fucking lethal as ever. It was all becoming strange.

"Hey stranger," Lauren called as Amy entered.

"Hey," Amy said gruffly. She dropped the basket on the floor of the common room and stormed off to her room, slamming the door.

Karma entered slowly, hanging helplessly in the doorway and giving Lauren a sad noncommittal glance.

"What happened to her?" Lauren whispered aggressively trying to get all the secrets out and fix it all asap.

"She won't talk to me," Karma said grumpily.

Lauren walked over and pulled Karma inside.

"I'm sorry," she said, still whispering. "You guys used to be so close and now she's acting like this thing from another planet. It's almost how she treated me when we first met!" Lauren reminded and that connection made Karma ridiculously uncomfortable. Karma was finally starting to realize that things were monumentally wrong between her and Amy. Amy wasn't just being grumpy, she was avoiding her. And she wasn't just being shy, she was keeping secrets.

"I found her with that girl today," Karma said dazedly. Lauren noticed how Karma seemed guarded and she was sliding her necklace charm back and forth on it's slim golden chain. It was a gift from Amy, Lauren knew that much. A small simple heart that a small simple girl would pick out all by her lonesome. Lauren sighed just thinking of Amy in that store trying to find the perfect gift. She was so sweet and sad. Her sister in law, the sweet and sad lil lesbian misfit.

Karma was thinking back on Clarice and Amy at that table. "They were practically holding hands," she stated.

"Which girl?" Lauren asked. Lauren had been out in class and then she went to check out a dance group right after statistics. She wasn't sure if she liked them or not. They were pretty amateurish but Lauren was eager to make new friends and it would be an easy way to do it.

"You know which girl," Karma stared with a stern glance.

"Noooooo," Lauren said, remembering the girl from earlier with the short hair and the tendency to hide in Amy's room. "What the hell?!" Lauren almost shouted her whisper now. It wasn't okay. Any girl but that girl "That girl is mischief Karma!" Lauren warned.

"Yeah," Karma scoffed hopelessly, "Well, I can't do anything. It's happening."

"What do you mean you can't do anything?! Amy would die for you. If anyone can do a thing. You can do a thing."

"Lauren, come on. It's been a long day. I think I'm just gonna go to bed," she tried to run.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Lauren said, grabbing onto her elbow and pulling her close so that she could whisper in her ear. "You do know that you're losing her right? All this stuff, it's not just college. It's you."

"What are you talking about?!" Karma asked nervously. Lauren's nails were digging painfully into her skin. "Ouch, hey, that hurts!"

"Go and talk to her before it's too late! Stop this now, and then you can sleep sound!"

"Lauren, come on," Karma begged. It was too late though, Lauren had knocked hard on Amy's door and twisted the knob shoving the door open. "LAUREN!" Karma gasped, as Lauren pushed her inside without her consent and took the door, closing her in.

Amy turned around by her dresser. She was hurrying to put a shirt on. They hadn't even given her time to cover up.

"Shit, Karma! What the hell?!"

"Sorry," Karma said, coughing to clear her throat. She had been staring at her naked back but when Amy turned with her shirt finally falling down over her body Karma noticed herself and shook herself awake. "Lauren shoved me in here."

"What for?"

"She wants me to ask about Clarice," Karma said. She walked to the bed and sat down on the edge. Amy walked in front of her and paced.

"What about her?"

"Are you two… I mean…. I saw you in the cafeteria and…"

"What Karma? I'm tired, okay? I don't have time for this, and I have class in the morning."

"Huh," Karma huffed nervously. She had been tracing her teeth with her tongue and trying again to push away the anger in her. Amy had let her be wrong for so long but Karma was so bad at giving Amy space and time. She was always bad at it. It was almost impossible.

"What?" Amy asked, seeing that she was upset.

"You don't have time for me," Karma said, fanning her fingers out and staring at her nails to distract herself. A tinge of anger was tickling at her eyes and her heart, making it hard for her to see without crying and sit without feeling that burn.

"Karma, it's not like that."

"Yeah? So what is it like then?" Karma asked, looking up at her quick because to hide her eyes always felt weak and foolish. She'd rather look at her, rather see how she really felt.

"Karma-"

"No, okay. I know," she took a deep breath in to slow herself down. "I know I'm bad at giving you space. But I love you okay? I fucking love you and I know that's stupid and I smother you and I basically monopolize of your time but Amy I do miss you when you're gone and don't want to hurt you. If you need space just tell me okay?!"

"Okay," Amy said, looking around. "I need space."

"What?!" Karma was shocked. She never thought in a million years that Amy would actually say that.

"I," she breathed in sharply and felt her heart hurt. "I. Need. Space."

Karma watched. Amy couldn't look at her, not while she was thinking and saying these things.

"Is it me? Did I do something? Is it college? Is it Clarice?!"

"Karma, this is the opposite of space."

"Well you can't just say something like that and not explain?!"

Karma stood up and grabbed her wrist. Amy was pacing and trying to avoid her. She always tried to push her away without seeing her. But Karma was real. Karma had always been real and Karma had always wanted to mean something to her, mean the most in her world.

"What did I do?!" Amy could hear it as Karma began to break down. "Tell me, please. At least tell me what I did."

"Fuck, Karma, please don't. I can't right now. I can't." Amy said feeling frustrated. If Karma was going to cry it would all be swept under the rug. It always happened that way. She could never say no. Not ever. She hated hurting her. She always hated it.

"You can't," Karma said, throwing Amy's wrist away from her and turning from her coldly. She stood facing Amy's wall and wishing that she could explain how frustrating it felt to try and be friends after everything that had gone on. Amy had obviously changed in the past year.

"Karma, come on. You know I can't take when you're mad at me."

"You can't take me mad. You can't take me happy. You can't take me. Is that is?"

It was a cold thing to say. She had brought it all up.

"What…. What do you mean?" Amy stuttered nervously. Were they talking about this? Were they actually fucking talking about this now?

Her heart leapt in her chest, just at the prospect.

"Nothing Amy," Karma sighed and clenched her fists. "I mean nothing. You've made that perfectly clear." Karma couldn't help it, the anger was coming and though she tried to hold it off, her body began to involuntarily shake. She knew if she didn't get out fast she'd explode. She'd push her or yell. She's make her hurt when she was already obviously hurting and Karma didn't want to do that to her, not really. It felt entirely rational to want that after how difficult Amy had been lately but it still wasn't right and she knew that so she tried. She tried to suppress her urge to push her hard. A lump rose in her throat as she swallowed harshly and bit back her own on-coming harsh words.

"Are you jealous? Is that what this is?" Amy remembered the table and the hands. This had to be about Clarice. Karma was fine before but now...

"This isn't fucking about her, Amy. Don't be fucking stupid." Karma brushed her own hair out of her face. The hair that Amy had playfully knocked astray only minutes before outside in the hall. Karma felt her cheeks burn with anger. She remembered how she had just been laughing and wanting to laugh with her. Her Amy hadn't been there. This wasn't her Amy.

It wasn't but it was. All the feelings in her were conflicting. Karma wanted to turn and push Amy but she just couldn't. She couldn't. It was wrong of her to be so consistently wrong for so long and expect Amy to never have a chance to act the same and drag her through the mud and change her life for better or worse. They were like a married couple without the sex. They always had been and who knows, maybe that was the whole problem.

All Karma could think about was Hester again and that year of drastic change. That year when Amy fell in love but somehow lost it all with time. Anything Amy was giving her, she knew she deserved it. Amy had always been the good friend, until now. She deserved her chance to be shitty. Karma was sure of it but it still made her mad. Grossly, weakly, Karma wondered how long she'd be able to take it. How long could she swallow Amy's venom before lashing out and violently biting her back and secreting her own?

Being hurt by Amy was so unlikely. Now that it was happening to her it felt so unbelievably foreign. Like a vivid nightmare or one of those fun-houses with the faulty warped mirrors and the oversized rolling barrels. Karma felt herself spinning with her anger as she held it in. She was trapped.

Amy stood there, afraid to move or talk. If Karma was mad she might leave. That would be good. If Karma left Amy could just try to forget how badly she sucked at being a good friend. If Karma left Amy could sleep and not think.

"What's it about then," Amy asked boldly. She knew Karma. She knew Karma was hanging on by a thread, at the end of her rope, fighting off an urge to lash out and fight back. Something in Karma kept her from acting real sometimes. Amy had known about it for a while but she never pushed it. Not until now.

"Don't," Karma said, turning to face her. It was a warning if Amy had ever seen one.

"Don't what?" Amy asked, taking a step forward to close the gap. She wanted to push her limits and see what that would do.

Karma felt every hair on her body rise. It was like every inch of her was pulling her towards Amy and asking her to just touch her, just do it. Just reach out and grab or push or pull. _Do something!_ Her head just screamed.

_You want to push her,_ Karma thought. _You want to push her, hit her maybe, show her what an ass she's been and how much she's hurt you. Just do it! She's right there!_

"NO!" Karma yelled at herself and held her head.

Amy instinctively took a step back.

"Karma?" Amy asked, her own anger breaking as concern leaked it's way into her voice.

"Look, don't do me any favors okay?!" Karma spat, collecting her thoughts. For some reason the concern right then had been worse than the previous challenge. "You want space? Fine. You got it." She yelled with confidence now. "Just don't fucking treat me like shit because I didn't ask you to do anything and it's not my fault, whatever this is. So don't!"

Karma turned and stormed out of the room. She took the door in her hand and slammed it as hard as she possibly could. She wasn't like Amy, she never slammed doors, not even for fun. When Karma slammed a door it meant something.

Lauren watched from the kitchen as Karma's strength suddenly waned and she crumbled, running, crying to her room with a hand over her mouth to muffle her fast approaching sobs.

"Shit…" Lauren said, throwing her plastic cup in the sink and watching as the rest of her water splashed out. "So much for a calm fucking year…"

**Part II**

Amy didn't care. If she told herself that enough it would be true. Karma would never get it and things would never change. She hated the way things were but fixing them was too hard. If she tried it might make things worse. She needed Karma but she wanted her too much to worry about it until she could fix herself.

She stood in the middle of her bedroom, body tense until she let out the breath she was holding. There was nothing she could do about how weird her life was right now. She had expected everything but this. Clarice, the weird magic shit, and this continual fighting with Karma. So much weight piled on her shoulders that she might crash through the floor at any moment.

To break her own fall she took a step and collapsed onto her bed, curling into a ball in an attempt to block it all out. She struggled with the press of thoughts and wished she couldn't have anymore. She prayed for sleep and it came fifteen minutes later after she began to despair.

_The world opened into her mind, stretching out a canvas of night. It flowed across her vision like a curtain drawn across a window, colouring everything with a star speckled backdrop. She was floating in space, somewhere among the pinpricks that she looked up to every night. Now, they were closer and she could touch them. _

_Reaching out, she tested the texture but the energy radiating from the orb burned her cold, not like she expected at all. There was no warmth here, no air, nothing but dark and points of light. She heard a laugh and turned startled. Who was here with her?_

_The sound seemed to come from everywhere and then right beside her. She turned back to face the other side and saw Clarice there, smiling at her. The sight made her insides clench with fear. Her breaths came faster and she could fear the air going in and the CO2 coming out. Her blood carried the oxygen and she absorbed the ineffable moment of fight or flight._

"_This is what I was trying to tell you," Clarice said. She held out her arms to the night and threw her head back. "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." When she returned her limbs and head to their prior positions she was looking into Amy's eyes. _

"_What?" Amy wanted to run but something held her. Maybe Clarice, maybe the stars, or maybe she needed to know what was going to be said. "Did you just quote Shakespeare to me? Lame."_

_Instead of arguing, Clarice took her hand and pulled her farther into the black expanse. "You can do so much more than you could ever imagine, Amy. I just want you to see what life could be like if you let go of your fear and let me teach you." She drew Amy close, wrapping her arms around to draw them as close as possible. "You've got the magic in you. It's in your blood, your mind, every part of you." _

_Amy tried to pull away but there was no escaping. She wanted out, so she willed it. Her mind raced and the stars started to spin, slowly at first and then quicker, until they were only a blur. Clarice was still hugging her, lips pressed into the crook of Amy's neck. She felt Clarice's lips move against her skin as she muttered something. Amy pushed out with her thoughts and then Clarice's body started to blur._

"_No!" Clarice tried to hang on. Her iron grip on Amy's arms increased until she could barely stand the pain. "What are you doing? Amy, please listen to me. You're not…" The words trailed as she hung on by two fingers. Then she was gone, spinning into oblivion and a fierce blaze rushed out of the cacophony. It came straight for Amy, a fiery ball of mass. _

_She tried to duck but it was too fast. Flames engulfed her face as it came closer and smashed into her body. She exploded and all the bits that made her up flew apart never to join together again. _

She jolted awake, eyes wide and breaths coming heavy.

_WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!_ Her mind screamed. She jerked her body up and noticed how sweaty she was. Her chest was heaving and her breath was shaky as she felt her heart pounding fast.

Clarice had been there. She had been in her dream.

"That wasn't FUCKING normal!" Amy growled. She stumbled out of bed and barely caught herself on her feet, feeling weak. _Was that real? Was that a dream?_

Amy thought about it. _It felt real. _

Slowly and weakly she opened her door and hobbled out to the kitchen feeling as every muscle in her body seemed a little too tense and almost used.

She was thirsty, so thirsty. She felt hot and stuck and unsure of all that had gone on.

_It was only a dream_, she told herself.

"Just a dream," she mumbled, as she filled a glass with cold water and drank greedily, stopping only at the sound of movement behind her. Turning fast as she was still completely on edge, Amy was shocked to see Karma's head poking up from the couch.

"Karma?" She gasped.

Karma saw her and nodded but turned around and slipped back down to try and sleep. She had heard Amy loud and clear. _ I need space,_ Amy had said. _Give me space._

It wasn't like Amy to wake in the night. Amy rarely had nightmares and it was really early so this was strange. Karma secretly wondered if this was something new. But she couldn't ask. She shouldn't. She'd give Amy what she needed, at least for a little while.

Amy panted noisily in the kitchen. She sounded like an animal, ruffling around, chugging water, and trying to regain her composure, to return to some previous state where she didn't feel totally infiltrated by Clarice and all her crazy-ass talk.

Luckily Karma had the tv on and she was playing an old movie. There was a big band playing and Judy Garland was getting ready to sing.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked loudly, over the sound. It was like she had forgotten all about that conversation before. If Karma was watching a movie in the early morning, Karma was not okay.

"Giving you space," Karma reminded grumpily. Her heart fluttered though. After that convo Amy had already spoken to her. Perhaps this space wouldn't be as intolerable as she had once assumed it would be.

After the talk she had cried for a full hour, feeling sick and ridiculous. The only notion that eventually calmed her was the notion that they still lived together. Amy couldn't go far.

Collecting herself, once she knew it was safe, Karma crawled out to the couch with the fuzzy blanket Amy usually stole and curled up with it sobbing only intermittently as her movie played off in the background and distracted her just enough to keep her calm. There had been very little to comfort her though after weeks of Amy's cold and almost dodgy behavior. That conversation in the room had been a long time coming, perhaps too long.

"I'm sorry," Amy said. She still felt her heart racing.

"It's fine. You need space."

"I know but it's not you, it's me."

Karma laughed, she just had to. "Isn't that what they usually say?" She had to smile. She loved it when Amy sounded like all those cliche people on tv.

Amy stood up straight, finally living the kitchen counter to walk over to her. Karma was right before, she should have given her a reason, a good one at least.

"Come on, up," Amy said, tapping at Karma's feet so that she would raise them.

"What happened to you?" Karma stared, her smile creeping up on her. Just like before in the hallway, Amy was white as a sheet and clammy, still so clammy. Karma felt Amy's hands on her own bare legs as she laid them down ontop of her. Amy grabbed her thighs and calves softly and pulled them close into her stomach, as she usually did when they watched things together. She let Karma rest. Thinking quickly, Amy stared down at Karma for a brief second just wishing she could let herself stare longer and watch her there. For so long it had felt wrong to comfort herself like this with physical touch, without Karma knowing how she still felt.

"Nightmare," Amy said. Karma reached her hand beneath the blanket and grabbed one of Amy's squeezing it softly.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It's fine," Amy shrugged, wishing she could shake her off but knowing she hadn't the strength anymore, not today. "Look, there's something… Something's wrong… With me," Amy huffed out shallowly.

"I wish you would talk to me," Karma stared. She wanted to sit up and pull her close, play with her hair and rub her back. She wanted to comfort her but Amy wouldn't let her. Cold Amy wouldn't let her close. Cold Amy had demons and boundaries and sometimes acted like a fickle teenage boy.

"I can't, I know," Amy said, looking down at her nervously and showing her that it was true. That seriously dire look on Amy's face made Karma want to cry.

"Why can't you?" The truth would be nice.

"I dunno," Amy said.

"It's about me then… It must be."

"It's not-not all of it," Amy stuttered.

"But part of it?"

"Yeah, maybe," Amy confessed, her chin quivering with the confession that had taken years to finally come out. She didn't want to be weak. She never wanted to. She had tried to fight it off, tried to pretend she could get over her. All the while she wanted her. All the while the attraction only grew and festered, making her agitated and upset, turning her into a monster and a shit friend and a mystery. It was like having a secret she just shouldn't have. There was no way to take it back. She should've talked a long time ago.

"Just tell me, please," Karma said. It was like she knew. She felt it now, so strongly. But she wasn't scared of it, not at all. Karma liked it, she was sure of it. She liked it because it was different now. Part of her felt it too.

"It's better if I don't," Amy simply said. The last time she had talked to Karma about her feelings they had made a big mess and hurt each other so bad. Amy was seeing though how her behavior over the years had progressed and changed. She didn't laugh much anymore. She was a different person and Karma was starting to maybe see why.

"Then what? What should we do?"

If Amy wouldn't talk then it'd always just be this way. Karma would be lonely and Amy would be sad and the two could never help each other never laugh. More and more their relationship was becoming heavy and intense. Karma couldn't smile without wondering if it was okay, if Amy even wanted to see her anymore. But she couldn't leave her either because Amy was hers and she was Amy's and that was their life and she wanted it that way.

"I love you, ya know," Karma said. A tear fell from her eye but she didn't move, she didn't want to give it away since Amy wasn't looking.

"I know, I love you too," Amy said. _But we mean different things_, Amy thought.

_No, I love you,_ Karma thought in her mind. But there was no way to explain, no way to show. Amy was set on believing that it could only ever be one-sided. Karma couldn't fight her. Not tonight. Karma couldn't even explain what was happening but she'd do anything to keep her, anything at all.

"Sleep with me? Please?" Karma begged. And of course she meant, just sleep.

"Okay," Amy said, inhaling deep as the tears fell shakily from her eyes.

Karma sat up and moved to stand. Once she did she bent down to see her and kissed her forehead slow feeling as Amy shook there on the couch, trying hard not to sob, trying hard not to show her pain and her despair. Whatever had happened to her, it hadn't been good and Karma wanted it gone.

"Come on, sweetie," Karma said, holding out her hand and watching the empty space where Amy's hand soon slipped into hers.

Relief rushed over her. At least they were talking.

Her touch was like one of those dreams where you're in a warm clean field and the sun is shining but it doesn't hurt. Amy touched her and Karma felt home. It was like nothing she could ever feel in her whole life with anyone else.

She walked her back to Amy's room and shut the door. Amy watched as she pulled the covers back and urged her to lay down.

_So this is what we'll do_, Amy thought. _We'll sleep together and we'll dream. And maybe that won't happen again, with the fire. Maybe this time I'll actually sleep._

She threw her sweater off and struggled to breathe and she scrambled over to the side of the bed in the dark. Karma watched her, just waiting. She wanted to hold her. She wanted Amy in her arms.

"Come on," she said. It was already too early. They were already late to rest.

Karma knew that as soon as she was holding her they would both just fall and all the tears would be forgotten and all the pain with drift away into the night.

Amy tucked herself inside and pulled the down comforter up over herself, enjoying the cold.

"Let me hold you," Karma whispered. It was her now, she was shaky. It was so quiet now they could both hear the silence and the way they were both breathing almost desperately in the night together and by each other's sides.

Amy had a choice to turn away or turn in and Karma hoped beyond hope that Amy would make the right one and nestle her face in the crook of her neck. If she didn't do that Karma would pull her around, make her turn.

There was stirring and for a moment Karma held her breath.

Amy turned in towards Karma and opened her arms as Karma pulled her close, leading her into her body and smiling almost joyously because they hadn't done this for a long while.

"Thank you," she said, as they both settled it. She was holding Amy so tight it was like she was scared to lose her, scared to let go. Amy felt herself weak as Karma kissed at the skin on her forehead again and rubbed her palm over her skin and her hair, squeezing her tight like a mother squeezes a child.

Amy felt so confused in the night and the dark. Those flashes from before came and went. She pushed them away.

"It's gonna be okay," Karma said nervously. She didn't know why she was saying it but she wanted to talk to her. She wanted to recover her own mind, take it back from whatever that bad dream was before. They had established already that Amy was not okay. And Karma hadn't seen her like this but she had been this way twice today.

Amy shook her head no and shakily breathed out a long and terrible sigh. She allowed her mouth to drift closer to Karma's neck. The urge to kiss her there was so strong but she pushed it away, choosing instead to feel how Karma reacted to her hot panting breath on her skin. Karma did react, it was almost like touching.

Karma panted, feeling her breath there and wishing, she would do it. It was exhilarating not knowing what was happening. Scary, but exhilarating.

Then there was sadness though as Amy's breath was slowing down and becoming hard. Karma could hear it in her as Amy was beginning to break, just a little at a time little. Karma knew when her uneven breaths turned into shallow whimpers that she was going to cry now, she was going to cry.

"You can cry with me, it's fine," Karma hummed lovingly, pulling Amy's head closer to her until Amy rest her forehead on her neck and felt Karma's beating pulse on her own skin. Amy shot a hand up to Karma's neck and held at her desperately, closing her eyes. She didn't want to cry. Not here. It wasn't right to cry with her and make her stay. _Karma doesn't deserve my shit,_ Amy thought. _She doesn't' deserve this._

But it wasn't like that. Karma never felt that way. She always wanted to be there for her. Always wanted to hold her, help her. "Just cry, please," Karma begged in a whisper feeling how tenderly Amy needed it, needed her there for support.

Amy always got like this when she needed to cry. Her voice got hoarse and her chin quivered and she stopped breathing, she had a hard time trying to breathe. "Come on, sweetie, go ahead," Karma urged, holding her close and kissing her face. "Please," she kissed again, this time on her cheek and then her chin. In the dark she was trying slowly to find Amy's lips and kiss them just once. See if it would help. See what it would do.

She was just about to do it when Amy broke down. Her entire body shook onto Karma's and she held her close, feeling those tears and wishing she could fix whatever it was between them that was broken.

Her lips burned from the expectation of a kiss so she pressed them to the top of Amy's head and placed a kiss there instead, shutting her eyes tight and trying to be strong for her. She could tell by the rate of Amy's breathing that she was finally getting to a place where she could rest. If only the same could be said for Karma. If only they could both just feel okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Unlawfully Charmed**

**Part I**

Amy awoke groggily to an empty bed. Where Karma had been there was only a pillow that Karma had obviously tucked under Amy's arms to give the illusion of her body being there.

_Right_, Amy thought. _Class. School. College. Life..._

Her obnoxious alarm rang out two seconds later and she slapped it hard with her hand. It was the worst sound really but the only sound that could ever possibly wake her from the land of sleep.

Luckily, after everything, she hadn't experienced that fire dream again. Apparently, with Karma holding her, she didn't need to dream anymore. The guilt in her was strong though. She had snapped at Karma and then apologized. Karma knew now that Amy's feelings from high school were never really just a phase.

_But what the fuck was that dream?!_ Amy thought.

Amy's cell phone buzzed and she reached over to grab it.

Karma: Morning weepy, you up?

Karma wasn't sure if Amy had set an alarm or not and she was too rushed in the morning since she had to get up super early to go to her 7am class on the other side of campus. Now it was 9 and she had the hour free. Her plan had been to invite Amy out for breakfast. Campus actually had a diner and since it was sort of early it probably wouldn't be too busy.

Amy: Yeah, thanks.

Karma: Wanna meet for breakfast?

Amy: Sure…

Karma: We don't have to if you want space. I just know you have class at 11 and I also know how much you like those chocolate chip pancakes at Mary's. My treat?

Amy: Sounds good, I'll get dressed.

Karma: K, I'll get us a table!

It was enough to excite Karma. It had been so hard leaving Amy there, in bed, alone to go to class. Karma had gotten dressed awfully slow and every now and then she'd just stop in Amy's room and stare down at her. She would've gotten back into the bed if she didn't think Amy would wake. But she knew she shouldn't wake her. It would've been selfish to do it. Amy had been so stressed and bothered in the night. Her sleep in the morning seemed peaceful.

Lauren woke to Amy pounding on her door.

"Laureeeeeennnnnnnnn," Amy whined.

"WHAT?!" Lauren said, pulling her sleep mask off and stomping to the door to confront her difficult sister. She had planned to sleep until noon since she had stayed up so late watching A Chorus Line with her broadway obsessed internet friend from France.

"Karma wants to go to Mary's. Wanna come?"

Lauren took one look at Amy and decided that her answer had to be yes. Amy looked even more pathetic than usual. Her body language was always so blah and her face just had that dead unhappy thing going, that thing that only happened when she was depressed.

"Yeah sure," Lauren said, trying not to be suspiciously kind. It was not lost on her that Amy might only be asking so that things could be a little less awkward between her and Karma. But that wasn't the only reason Lauren wanted to help. She was actually really curious about all this Clarice business and Amy had been such a little grump lately, a near terror. If things didn't change soon Lauren would have to stage an intervention and invite Shane out to slap her around a bit and work his annoying magic.

Lauren closed the door and got dressed fast.

"Thankkkkk yooooooooou," Amy crooned to the closed door while she waited.

**Part II**

They got to the diner and found Karma in her favorite booth in the corner. As they approached Karma stood up to greet them. Lauren shoved herself into the booth fast and Amy felt Karma slip her hand into hers and use her other hand to grasp at her elbow and pull her close to whisper.

"I'm glad you came," she said. The softness in Karma's voice made Amy's heart skip.

"Sit down weirdos," Lauren ordered. She had already pulled a menu out and started to survey it but she could only ignore their coupley weirdness for so long.

Karma sat down in the bench opposite Lauren. Since she refused to let go of Amy's hand, Amy had no other choice but to scoot in beside her. At least this way awkward eye contact couldn't make things painful for everyone.

They didn't have to wait long because a waitress came over to ask for their drink orders. That distraction took a whole two seconds and then Amy was back to trying to figure out how she could pick up her menu and turn the pages without pulling her hand away from Karma. As much as it hurt for them to touch like that, it would hurt worse if she pulled away. At least the former was a sweet ache. It beat the defeated, hollow feeling she had been going through before last night.

_Last night…_ Clarice floated into her memory. The odd dream and the whole weird fire thing. She was suddenly very thankful that Karma's hand was grounding her to reality.

"Are you okay?" Karma asked.

Amy started. Karma put a menu down in frong of her and Amy fiddled with it. "Yeah," she said, without even looking up.

She pushed the cover of the menu open and started to look through the breakfast specials.

"Really?" Lauren questioned from behind her menu, she peeked up over the edge. "Because you look even more dead than usual."

Now that they were living together Amy was starting to feel like the odd man out. She had invited Lauren to keep Karma at bay but, as usual, she had forgotten how close Lauren and Karma had somehow become over the years. They were always watching out for her, always monitoring her every move.

Perhaps this would be one of those mornings where the two of them did nothing but pick at her.

"It's just that dream," Amy thought out loud and Karma heard.

Karma thought about how disturbed Amy had been the night before. She squeezed Amy's hand. "Try not to think about it," she said, looking over at her and stopping her from thinking about anything else for a least a fleeting moment.

"What dream?!" Lauren asked gruffly, breaking the two of them from one of their long loving stares. After speaking she had immediately gone back to looking at the long list of breakfast possibilities but just her voice was enough to break Karma from her gaze.

"Just a nightmare," Amy said.

"Bummer," Lauren said.

"Yup."

"Were you falling? I hate those."

"No… I think I was on fire?" Amy said worriedly. "Or maybe I was making a fire? I dunno but that girl was there."

"What girl?" Amy hadn't really opened up about the dream but it had obviously disturbed her a lot since she went out to the kitchen and chugged water and spent the night after in Karma's arms.

"Clarice," Amy said. She bit out that name, not wanting to know it.

"Wait? The crazy girl who was in our apartment?" Lauren asked, looking up at Amy with a bit of judgement. "Why the hell would she be in your dream?! You just fucking met her. That's ridiculous."

"I know!" Amy scoffed. How could Lauren blame her for her dream?! It wasn't like she wanted to have the damn thing. It wasn't like she asked to wake up shaky and weak.

Amy looked to Karma and noticed that Karma was playing with her hand in her lap, petting it and almost mournfully looking down at it.

Amy stifled a blush when Karma said nothing to help her defend herself. Karma was obviously too preoccupied with the touch that was sending shivers of pleasure into Amy's palm and up her arm all the way to her heart.

"She's creepy..."

"Well yeah, we knew that," Lauren said, throwing her menu back behind the condiment basket and staring up at Amy. "What'd she do in your dream?"

"She hugged me…"

"Oh… You didn't tell me it was a gay dream. Never fucking mind."

"No, no," Amy shook her head, swallowing hard. "It wasn't like that. She was like... Keeping me there…" Amy shifted in her seat. It was almost like she could feel it all happening to her as she was thinking back on it. It was like she could feel Clarice's arms around her, holding her. The feeling wasn't a good one. Not given what happened the last time they had really touched. "And then the fire came."

Karma was watching her and noticing her trance.

"Oh, she was evil? Sounds about right," Lauren noted, wishing they had already ordered. Karma was barely talking and Amy was in crazy-town again. "Oh shit, don't turn around!" Lauren said.

"What?!" Amy and Karma both moved to turn.

"DON'T!" Lauren yelled, snapping them back fast. "Wait here," Lauren said, getting up quickly and walking down the hallway toward the bathroom.

Amy turned and watched. She vaguely saw the shape of a person but she couldn't make them out because they were obviously short and a tall man had moved into the way.

"That was weird," Karma laughed.

"Yeah," Amy said. "It was…" Amy sighed in relief though. It wasn't so bad just sitting next to Karma and allowing her to play with her palm, trace her skin, and softly breathe by her side.

Down the hall Lauren had grabbed the girls elbow and yanked her into the bathroom.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Lauren asked authoritatively. She crossed her arms and trapped the girl in the stall.

Clarice felt small.

"Wha-ah- what do you mean?!" Clarice asked sheepishly. She had something in her hand.

"What are you doing with my sister? What are you doing here? Are you stalking her? Are you harassing her? Are you dating?!"

There were too many questions. When Lauren asked one Clarice would think for a moment but then her thoughts were cut off by another question and another long strand of slowly constructed thoughts came after. Lauren just sort of grabbed her and started barking. It was intimidating. Clarice's mind went blank.

"I-um."

"Speak. Now. FAST." Lauren ordered, looking her up and down. Clarice remembered the thing in her hand.

"I wanted to give Amy this," Clarice said, trying to buy herself time.

Lauren surveyed the small box.

"What is it?" Lauren asked, not giving even one fuck about how it really wasn't her business.

"It's a necklace. An ancient charm."

"So, you are dating?"

"No, I mean. I don't think so."

"But you like her?"

"Yeah," Clarice said. Realizing it. No one had asked her that yet. But she did like Amy, she really did. Dating hadn't been on her mind but now that she was thinking about it in a formal way all she could realized was that her relationship with Amy had been a courtship somehow.

"Okay," Lauren said, deciding where to go from there. "Give me that," she said, taking the box from the calm girl's hands. "And I want you to stay in here for a little while. Wait ten minutes and then leave. I don't want her to see you."

"I was eating though-"

"No." Lauren stopped her, forcing Clarice to look up into her eyes. "This is creepy. You are being creepy. And that's not the way to win someone's heart."

"Oh," Clarice said, her mind spinning. She'd never really liked anyone who didn't already like her first. Usually she was fighting people off. This was all very new.

Lauren watched as a small smile appeared on Clarice's face.

"Why is that funny?!"

"It's not. You're right," Clarice said, looking at Lauren and liking that she was at least a little bit taller than her despite Lauren's obvious power.

"K, good. Amy is very fragile and you have to be gentle because she's sensitive."

"Are you helping me?" Clarice smiled again.

"I'm not helping you. I'm trying to keep my sister from having a mental breakdown. If she sees you today, believe me, it will not be good."

"But what about-"

"I'll give it to her." Lauren said flatly.

"K," Clarice said. But Clarice was afraid the charm wouldn't make it into Amy's hands. After what happened the night before in the quad, Clarice knew that Amy needed the charm but she had to explain it too and she couldn't do that with Lauren acting as a bodyguard. "K." She said again, realizing that she'd have to try again later. With Lauren involved, Clarice really had no choice.

"Good." Lauren said. "It's cute that you have a crush and all," Lauren confessed. She thought Clarice was pretty and Amy could use a little happiness in her life.

"You're sweet to be protective," Clarice thought out loud. She was never scared of speaking her mind but sometimes she definitely spoke without meaning to.

"Just disappear for now, okay? It'll be better for everyone."

Without a word Lauren left the bathroom and returned to the table.

While she was gone Karma and Amy had been holding hands and not speaking.

Karma had laid her hand down on the padded bench. She had her palm up and Amy was openly rubbing her hand with the whole of her palm. It felt heavenly, for both of them, but Amy was ignoring Karma in every other way. Karma knew it would be bad to speak. Especially after their conversation last night. Despite it all, just being with Amy made her heart skip.

Lauren plopped down into the booth seemingly agitated.

"Everything okay?" Amy asked. She was the one now who had taken to staring at the menu. She really didn't need to look at it. Karma had been right and the chocolate chip pancakes were going to be hers today. But if she pretended to be confused about breakfast no one would bother her and she wouldn't have to look anyone in the eye or think about anything really, not anything. Except for maybe that warm palm beneath hers and the way Karma had been breathing harder than usual and trying to act still and be quiet. There was something odd going on between them. It was like high school all over again and Amy couldn't help but feel a smile because of that. Just a little hidden smile.

**Part III**

Breakfast came soon after ordering. Lauren was the only one who noticed Clarice sneaking out. They ate together and talked about silly things. Karma couldn't help herself from singing a little bit of Judy Garland at the table after last night's movie invaded her mind.

Lauren and Amy always smiled when Karma sang. They would act like it was smi-embarrassing but really they both loved it. Also they were both the kind to get teary at singing so Karma knew it wasn't all in her mind. She knew they liked it.

When they were just about done Karma noticed a familiar person stand up from a booth across the way and come walking over to them. Involuntarily she breathed in deep and Amy started.

"What is it?" Amy asked but the girl had already made her way over.

"Hello there Karma."

All their eyes raised to see a perfectly coiffed blonde girl standing before them. Karma instantly perked up and Amy internally groaned. It was the sorority fake from the activities fair. Lauren just looked bored and turned back to her breakfast.

"Hey!" Karma sat up, breaking the contact between their hands. Amy was even more disgruntled by the change. It reminded her that it wasn't normal. "Ray! How are you?"

The amount of enthusiasm Karma was displaying was kind of disgusting to Amy. Though she kept her thoughts to herself, at least until the girl left.

"It's good that I saw you," Ray continued. "I wanted to invite you to our mixer tonight. It's at eight at the TriDelta house." She reached into her purse, which she had slung over her left shoulder, and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here's a flier with info and directions." She held out the flier to Karma and Lauren looked up and snatched it. Ray's brow creased as if she hadn't actually noticed Lauren there at all. "You're all welcome to come of course."

Karma looked from Lauren to Amy, wondering how she could convince them to go. Amy just looked pissed and Lauren looked like she had just enough patience not to send a scathing remark Ray's way.

"Thanks but I'm pledging Alpha Phi."

Ray still smiled even though Lauren had just declared herself a rival. "That's okay, you can still come with Karma." She leaned toward Lauren as if to tell her a secret. "We're planning on winning her over to TriDelt."

The bark of laughter that followed came from Amy, not Lauren as Karma expected. "Whatever," Amy muttered and stared down at her plate. Karma gave her a sharp look at then cast her eyes back in Ray's direction. Making up for the impoliteness of both Lauren and Amy was a full time job.

"We'll be there." She patted the flier and gave her brightest smile, the one that made Amy's insides turn to goo. "Thanks for the invite Ray. See you tonight."

"See you," Ray replied. "Bye girls."

Karma watched her walk away and when she was out of earshot she gave Amy a smack on the hand. "She's nice, so try not to be so rude."

"Nice?! She wants to recruit you for the automaton airhead brigade. You do know there is an actual reason that cheerleaders and sorority sisters are always villains in horror movies, right?"

Karma's head fell to the side. "Amy, that's not fair. Come on, I'm just curious and I want to check out a Greek party at least once. Come with me?" With her head cocked to the side and her most convincing face, Karma knew she would win. Amy never could deny her anything for long.

"Fine!" Amy growled at her inability to resist. Lauren giggled at her despair from the other side of the table. "If I have to go so does Lauren!"

"Wait a minute. That is so not fair." Lauren held up her hands and shook her head. "No way."

"Yes, way," Amy said, smirking.

Karma turned her pleading eyes on Lauren now who cursed the humanity that she had gained since actually letting people into her life. "Okay," she ground out past gritted teeth. "But I'm not promising to be nice."

With a nod, Karma accepted her terms. "That's fine. I never really expect that of you anyway."

They all returned to finishing off their breakfast, each in a very different head space and by the time they had paid, they were all ready to get on with their day. Lauren stood and grabbed her purse. Something fell on the floor with a thunk. Amy bent over and picked it up, turning it in her hands. It was the necklace that Clarice had given her for Amy.

"What's this?" Amy asked.

Something about it called to her. It made her feel safe, protected.

"Oh, that's for you," Lauren said, pulling her purse strap up and heading for the exit. 

Amy followed and Karma took up the rear. "But where did it come from?" She looked up to find Lauren speeding away from them, already pulling open the front door. "Lauren, hold up."

She didn't catch up till they were in the parking lot. "Hey." She put a hand on Lauren's shoulder.

"Yeah," Lauren said.

"Where did you get this?" Lauren rolled her eyes. She didn't want to tell Amy. In fact, she didn't want to get involved in Amy's love life at all but she wasn't going to lie. It took way too much energy. "I saw your stalker lurking around and she was going to give this to you so I shooed her away and told her that I would do it for her. After your dream it just seemed like the best thing to do..."

Amy dropped the necklace and it clattered on the pavement, flipping over onto it's back. Engraved words in a strange language stared up at her with an almost faded symbol hidden beneath them. "You actually took it?"

"Yeah." Lauren's hand took up residence on her hip and her expression turned wry. "I don't think she's as scary as you make her out to be. She just has a crush on you is all."

She ignored the dark look on Karma's face and the not so subtle shake of her head.

If Lauren didn't know any better she'd say that Clarice's charm-thingy actually frightened Amy.

"I agreed to give it to you so she would go away." 

Amy bent down to pick it up and looked over to the nearby trash can. She thought about it hard but something compelled her to pocket the charm and keep it safe. "Okay," she said.

An irrational itching seemed to take her though. She scratched at the veins in her right wrist and wondered why Clarice had brought that thing to her. Why the thing seemed to have a vibe. Everything having to do with Clarice was beginning to seem like a curse.

"Are you okay?" Karma whispered sweetly as they walked slowly back to Lauren's car, ambling ever-slower behind Lauren's turned back.

"I dunno," Amy confessed. She could say no but there wasn't anything really wrong with Clarice. Not yet at least. There was just that dream and that episode in the park that might've had more to do with her own paranoid brain than anything else, and now the charm, and the itching.

Karma watched as Amy stopped and scratched hard at her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"Bug," Amy lied, looking down at it curiously and covering the veins on her right hand. She was feeling them as they seemed to pulse beneath her palm and grow warmer. Was it the blood she was feeling? Her own blood? Nervously, she was too scared to look at it. Too paranoid to check. Her mind raced back to the first time Clarice touched her on the walk. That weird mark had appeared. That weird mark.

It had been on the necklace. Amy was sure of it now.

She felt the weight of the thing in her pocket. She imagined it glowing with fire. Burning a hole in her pocket and singeing the hair on her thigh.

"No." Amy said out loud, shaking her head and holding it.

Karma moved to touch her but stopped when Amy pushed her away.

Whatever was happening to her, it wasn't right.

**Part IV**

After class Amy rushed home. Why was she rushing? She couldn't quite say.

Clarice had texted her throughout the day, apologizing for missing her at the diner, apologizing for the night before, apologizing for anything and everything.

Amy tried to ignore her completely but when the apologies began to seem dire she forced herself to reply just to calm her and perhaps shut her up.

Clarice: The necklace is an heirloom. It'll help you focus your energy. Help you to feel calm.

Amy: You are seriously so fucking crazy…

Clarice: Amy…

Amy: Clarice…

Clarice: I know you don't really believe me but I believe this stuff okay? I'm really just trying to help keep you safe.

Amy: Safe from what?

That seemed to shut Clarice up for a while. Amy wasn't sure if Clarice had a class or a meeting or something. Who knows, maybe she even had real friends and a real life on top of all her sleuth-like behavior of stalking her in hallways and ambushing her in the cafeteria.

Amy checked her phone on her way back from class and noticed that she was late to join Karma and Lauren. The party was supposed to start in twenty minutes and Amy had promised Karma she would go but class had run late and Amy didn't feel confident enough to leave early when three other people did. She really wanted that professor to like her.

The result of that insecurity and apprehension would be that she was LATE.

"FINALLY!" Karma said, throwing her hands up as Amy entered.

"Fuck, I had class okay?!"

"I know, I know," Karma tried to be sympathetic. Plus, it was never really desirable to be on time to a party, right? Amy seemed sweaty like she had rushed. "I'm just glad you can come," Karma smiled, pulling Amy into the apartment and helping her to take her scarf off. She was fussing over her. "I laid a dress out for you and picked out your shoes."

Amy opened her door with Karma hanging playfully off of her, half hugging and half pushing her to hurry. Lauren was nowhere to be seen.

"You're kidding right?!" Amy asked. Once her door was open she saw the dress that Karma had picked. It was a short black dress. A little black dress.

"Please?!" Karma begged. "You'll look so good in it, I promise!"

"Where did you even get that?" Amy asked. It did not look cheap.

"It doesn't matter!" Karma smiled lovingly. The dress had been in a little boutique shop in Sedona. Karma had been away for a week with her family at the beginning of summer. They were selling tacos and crystals at the big mystic convention out there, the one that happens every year.

Yeah, the dress had been expensive. But Karma didn't care because all she could think about was how stunning Amy would look inside of it. How perfectly beautiful, unmistakably majestic. Tonight was the perfect night for that dress. Karma had been hiding it in her closet at home and she had taken it to college. It was a fond secret of hers, something she had been saving for a night just like this one.

Amy hated it though. She took one look and hated the person that Karma tried to make her be. Sometimes Karma treated her like a barbie or a kid.

"You think I'll just do anything you want," Amy was trying to be bitter but she had already promised and she had already been late.

"You will though, right? Just for tonight?" Karma asked, calming down and trying to hide her excitement.

"I guess…" Amy sighed, feeling defeated.

"Come 'ere," Karma said, pulling her close by the elbows.

"What?" Amy said, looking up and away from her. Since she was taller than Karma it was easier to ignore her and avoid her eyes entirely.

"Look at me, please," Karma said.

"Fine," Amy said, looking down.

"I don't care about this thing. I just want to go out with you."

It was sweet. But Amy was almost certain that it didn't matter at all.

Karma would be a pledge. That's what this was all about. Amy had to look attractive so that Karma could be a pledge.

"Don't look at me like that," Karma said.

"Like what?" Amy asked.

"Like I'm lying to you," Karma ordered softly. She felt better about their relationship after their talk and their random stormy night. Despite what Amy had been thinking, Karma had been telling the complete truth. All Karma wanted in the world was to dress up and go out with Amy and have a fun night with her like they used to. For some reason it was really starting to feel like a date. It had been so long since they'd done anything together like this. Also, it'd been so long since Amy let her get so close and watch her like this.

"Sorry," Amy said.

"Don't apologize," Karma ordered with flirtatious eyes.

"Fine," Amy said, searching her. Karma seemed to be staring at her for an awfully long time. "What?" Amy asked, not knowing why it was happening.

"I just miss seeing you," Karma smiled, her breath catching. "Is that really so crazy?" When Amy didn't talk, Karma stood up on her toes and kissed her on the lips before pulling her in for a tender hug. "Thanks for putting up with me."

"You're welcome," Amy sighed, missing her lips already.

"Now, get dressed. Lets do this!" Karma said, turning to leave but stopping just a second to turn around and smack Amy on the ass just for fun. For once, Karma actually noticed that adorable smile she missed as it seemed to grow, despite itself, on Amy's face as Amy turned back to watch her leave.

Lauren met Karma in the common room while they waited for Amy to change. She looked perfect as usual. Karma knew that Lauren was the one that was made for stuff like this: sororities and country clubs. It just wasn't something she had ever wanted to be a part of but now that she was here, it seemed more attractive. It meant being a part of something.

"Where is she?" Lauren asked, tapping her heel shod foot on the carpet.

Karma sat down on the arm of the chair that faced Amy's room. "She's changing… Give her a minute."

"Well, she better hurry up." Lauren looked at her phone and then tossed it in her clutch. "We're late already."

Shrugging was the only thing Karma could think to do. Her mind was distracted by the impending sight of Amy in that dress. She wasn't going to hold anything back. Maybe if she didn't hide anything that Amy made her feel eventually she wouldn't have to say it. Amy would get it and they could just go on together like they were meant to.

When the door opened, Karma held her breath and watched as it crept back slower than she could ever imagine. Finally, Amy stood before her, wearing the dress and looking magnificent. Moisture came to Karma's eyes as she took it all in. If only Amy knew how truly beautiful she was.

"Nice dress," Lauren said. She noticed that Karma was staring with her mouth open like a dumb horny boy. "Now, would you two stop eye-fucking each other so we can get this over with?"

She hopped off her seat on the chair and walked toward the door, making sure that she had everything she needed. Phone, make up, pepper spray in case anyone got too fresh and she was ready to go.

Amy didn't say a word, just followed Lauren to the door, trying to ignore the comment and the fact that she felt that it was accurate. It was harder though to ignore Karma's eyes, the ones that followed.

From behind, Karma walked following Amy and feeling small. She had set out a pair of her own black high heels by Amy's bed and Amy was sort of wobbling in them towards the door but establishing a way of managing herself, a way that surprised Karma and really did stop her in her tracks. She couldn't help but stare. Amy wasn't just pretty, she was gorgeous.

"What?" Amy asked. Karma was taking too long to catch up.

"Don't what me," Karma smiled, impossibly wide. In that dress Amy's legs already seemed long, so to add the heels. It was just unbelievable how different she looked. Karma gulped in her throat and tried to gather herself but she couldn't.

Amy smiled and tried to resist the blush that was taking over her cheeks. She couldn't hide it. Karma was looking at her like… Like…

"Are you fucking kidding me?! Stop!" Amy smiled down at her. She was trying to act incredulous but Karma was staring at her like she was a mythical goddess or something, a piece of fresh meat.

"Wait!" Karma was glowing. Amy watched as she ran off back to her room excitedly.

Lauren was already holding the door and she was starting to get pissed.

"For Christ sake!" Lauren yelled. But when Amy turned to look at her and Lauren noticed how happy she seemed, it was all worth it. Lauren calmed quickly and softly smiled back. It was worth it. All of it was. Just for that smile.

"What are you doing?" Amy laughed, turning back to look for Karma. She wanted to chase her. The girl had run off to her room like a mother running off to grab a polaroid camera or something so that she could take a picture of her baby before prom.

"Here!" Karma said, running back up to her with lipstick in her hands.

"Come on, I don't need that," Amy laughed, trying to fight her. She held Karma's wrists and tried to fight her but Karma insisted and Karma really was so happy, it was all Amy could feel. It didn't take long for Amy's hands to just stop pushing Karma's back. She let Karma have her way.

"It's fine," Karma said, putting the lipstick on her and watching as Amy just let it all happen. When Karma got this way, Amy hated to admit it but, she loved to just let her play.

Karma stared up at Amy's lips and used her finger to take off a smudge that had gone a little too far.

"Better?" Amy asked, looking down at her. She couldn't see herself anyway.

"Yeah," Karma sighed, looking up at her and not realizing at all that Amy had her by the elbows and her whole body was leaning against hers with no space inbetween. No space at all.

"Hmm," Amy said, looking down at her and smooshing her lips together gently to get the lipstick on right. Her eyes trailed down Karma's face and back up again. And she noticed Karma's eyes marveling at her face.

Karma was obviously staring and she realized it a little too late. She smiled wide and let her forehead fall down onto Amy's neck as she hugged her close for a second and then let herself push away. It was almost like for a second she had forgotten how to stand and breathe and just be.

"Okay?" Lauren asked, staring back at the two crazies. She had been watching but staying quiet. Sometimes the two of them were just so ridiculously adorable that she almost didn't want to come between them.

"Okay," Karma said, snapping herself out of it and standing up as tall as she could. She began to follow Lauren and sent a hand back to Amy.

Amy shut the light off and shut the door. She took Karma's hand and felt tall for the first time in forever.

The night was young.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Faded**

**Part I **

From the moment they stepped inside the TriDelta house Amy felt uncomfortable. It seemed like all eyes were on her as she carefully walked through the mass of people. With these heels on she felt so much taller and conspicuous. For once she cursed her natural gift of height. The only thing that was keeping her sand was Karma's hand in hers.

They hadn't let go ever since leaving the dorm. Even in the elevator when it would have been pretty natural to drop it, Karma still held on strong. Amy was starting to feel the energy between them change to what she had always hoped. She just didn't want to get lost in the hope.

"Okay," Lauren said, pulling a cup off the stack and filling it with punch. She took a sip and her face crumpled, lips puckering. "What the hell is this?" She balanced the cup while opening her clutch and pulling out a thin, silver flask. She screwed off the lid and poured some clear liquid into the drink. "There that's better."

Amy watched her, eyes wide. "What are you doing?"

"Um, making this drinkable," Lauren replied. She filled two more cups and passed them down to Amy and Karma. "Who serves non-alcoholic punch at a sorority party?" She took a drink and gestured to Karma. "You sure you want to rush Tri?"

"I never said I was going to rush," Karma replied. She was a little tired of everyone assuming that this was her plan all along. "But who knows."

Amy squeezed her hand, thus putting a smile back on her face. Karma brought the cup to her lips and sipped daintily, she was afraid of what Lauren had put in there. "Geeze, Lauren, I'll be wearing a lampshade on my head just from smelling this."

She nudged Amy who was taking a drink from her own cup. "Yeah," Amy said through a cough. "This stuff is lethal."

"Lightweights," Lauren said and walked away.

That left them standing in front of the refreshment table all by themselves.

Amy was searching the space. There were small groups everywhere. Some people were playing beer pong in the kitchen while others were by the tv playing some sort of interactive video-game that involved lots of movement and an over-abundance of uncontrollable laughter. Competing music blasted through the different rooms and met in the middle where they stood.

Next to her, Karma was somewhere else altogether. Instead of looking out and searching for Ray or anyone new, Karma couldn't help but hang onto Amy's arm and just marvel up at her. Had Amy always been this beautiful or had she changed? The more Karma stared the more she seemed to notice and see a difference in her. There was this seriousness now, always such seriousness. And Amy's jaw seemed sharper, she didn't play with her mouth as much as she used to. There were just so many little different things. Karma wanted to memorize them all, count them up, write a song about them.

In the distance, near the back of the space, Amy noticed a large clean sliding glass door that was pulled all the way open. Outside there was a calm looking clear blue pool and a patio with a covering that had been decorated with natural vines and soft little string lights, but not the cheap kind. It looked peaceful out there; inviting. It looked like a perfect picture from a catalog.

"You want to go outside don't you?" Karma whispered.

Amy felt her body shudder and her eyes shut slowly as she smiled. Karma's voice was so nice when she spoke just to her.

"I do," Amy said, opening her eyes again and staring out. She could almost feel the evening breeze pulling on her to go out.

"Go on," Karma said, pushing her soft and urging her to go.

It would be better to mingle first anyway and then relax with Amy, have a normal night with her beautiful friend.

"You're not coming?" Splitting up seemed like a bad idea to her but if it was what Karma wanted she would go out by herself for awhile.

"No, you go without me and I'll just find Ray and say hi, chat a little bit, and then I'll come find you." She took Amy's hand and smiled. "I know you don't want to talk to anyone here and you already let me talk you into coming so I'm not going to torture you with social time."

A quick breath flew out of Amy's mouth. "Okay." It was relief that she was feeling but also a keen sadness at being parted. She could wait for Karma to be through though. There wasn't any way that she wanted to suffer through another encounter with Ray.

"Go on," Karma said. She chuckled and used the hand that was holding Amy's to give her a nudge toward the door leading outside.

Amy took a few steps and dropped Karma's hand. "Just be careful… Don't let them rub off on you… And.. don't, drink the rest of that punch."

Amy looked back at Karma feeling both grateful and apprehensive. Every time they parted at college Amy felt a pang of unease. It was almost like every moment apart was a moment for Karma to become enamored with someone else. It was a good and a bad thing. Sadly, it usually felt bad.

When Amy finally turned away Karma stood just where she was and watched Amy make her way outside and then slow on the patio once she stepped foot on it.

**Part II**

Eventually Karma found herself back in the same spot where she just was. Longingly, she was staring out the glass door at her pitiful friend who was beautiful but also, as usual, ever so sad. "What is going on with you?!" A small voice from behind her made her jump. It was Lauren. She had made the rounds and decided that the scene was pretty bleak. Parties were all the same and to her they were uninteresting. Drunk idiot doing this. Drunk idiot doing that. Unless you were already in love with the drunk idiots, parties were never fun.

"Whoa! Hi there yoda!" Karma jumped and turned to look at her.

"Ha-ha!" Lauren made an angry face. "You don't get to call me Yoda. Not when I came all the way out here for you." Lauren was on her second cup of punch.

"Sorry," Karma said. "It's not too horrible right?" She was feeling guilty. Both of her girls were obviously disinterested. Sometimes when she made them go out it would end up in laughter and a priceless experience. Tonight seemed like one of those not-so-great nights though. The ones that felt much like filler and static. And, actually, now that she thought about it, she was kind of disinterested in this party herself.

"Whatever… What's happening though," Lauren asked. "I've seen the way you've been with her all day. What's going on?"

"I-I dunno," Karma confessed with a bit of a hesitant smile. This was the first time all day that Karma had been actively trying to get her mind OFF of Amy. It obviously wasn't working though. Lauren watched as Karma's attention kept on being drawn outside to where Amy was sitting with her knees close together and her ankles crossed, playing with her phone and still looking too stern.

"What happened with you guys?!" Lauren asked. From two days ago to today they had just been very different.

"We had a talk."

"Is that lesbian code?!" In Lauren's defence, the two of them had been staring at each other like they both had been fucked in a good way, perhaps by each other.

"No, it's not code," Karma said, looking over at Lauren with a little bite in her stare. "She had a nightmare and I was out in the living room so we talked for a while…"

"And?"

"She told me she still loves me," Karma smiled guiltily, feeling a flutter in her chest. Lauren watched on in sort of amazement.

"Of course she still loves you." Lauren blurted out with a queer expression. The idea that Karma could possibly not know that given Amy's strange behavior seemed obscene.

"What do you mean, of course? She's been treating me like crap ever since we left Hester."

"Yeah, because she has to do that to get herself to try and hate you." Lauren was so matter-of-fact about it. Watching the two of them over the years was better than watching any dumb teen-drama like One Tree Hill or Pretty Little Liars.

"What are you talking about?!" Karma said, breaking from her love-sick haze. The way Lauren was talking really frustrated her. Nothing Amy did ever seemed to make sense any more but Lauren was claiming that it did.

"She's been trying to distance herself dumbass." Lauren said flatly.

"Oh," Karma said, feeling a tinge of guilt and then sadness. She looked down at the ground and then back towards Lauren as if realizing something for maybe the first time.

"Oh, come on. Don't cry. Not here."

"I'm not gonna cry," Karma scoffed. And that was enough to make the tears pause in her eyes and keep them from spilling out. Not that Karma would ever care about crying in public. None of these people mattered to her yet. It wasn't like High School anymore. Nothing was.

"You should feel good about that though. It means she loves you too much," Karma smiled softly and watched as Lauren took a gulp of her drink and allowed her eyes to soften and roam the room, giving Karma a little slack and space.

"I never meant to hurt her…" Karma said, staring mournfully back outside and watching Amy again, just staring at her, wishing she could stop time. Lately, all she had been doing was noticing how badly she had hurt her. It was enough to make her cry but she couldn't do that, not here. What would be the point of it? It would just complicate things.

"I'm gonna go check on her."

Lauren rolled her eyes. Of course Karma and Amy would drag her to a party and then spend the whole night chasing each other around instead of seeking out FUN.

She watched Karma walk out toward Amy and slow once she got to the door, gathering herself for a romantic meeting, or whatever it is the two of them were constantly doing. It all seemed romantic. Lauren wished someone loved her as much as they loved each other. Her eyes were glued to them when they were like this. She lived vicariously through them feeling both happy and jealous. Her own life was devoid of such love and it had been for far too long.

"Hey you," Karma said, standing over Amy and looking down at her.

"Hey," Amy said, barely glancing up.

"Can I sit with you?"

"Sure," Amy said, breaking from the game she was playing on her phone. She scooted back on the brand new outdoor furniture. She had been sitting on one of those heavily cushioned chaise lounges. When Karma came she decided to move all the way back on it and lay down a little on the slightly bend back of the chair, propping her legs up too. It was a defense mechanism, sort of. If Amy moved far enough back Karma might just sit on the edge and give her space, leaving her body alone.

"You look really sexy tonight," Karma smiled. She took her hand to Amy's heel and pulled one of her shoes off and then the other, dropping them down on the cement. Amy stared down at her intrigued. It was almost like something had gotten into Karma. All of a sudden she was flirting and obsessed with her. It wasn't super unusual but it had been a long time since Karma had openly flirted with her. Usually Amy wouldn't let her. But now, it seemed kind of fair. Karma knew how Amy felt. Amy didn't have to feel bad about wanting her, not anymore. If anything happened now Amy wouldn't have to feel guilty about it.

"Mmmmhmmm," Amy said skeptically, watching Karma take her own shoes off and crawl up towards her on the chair, placing her hands on either side of Amy and deciding to come close to her, look her straight in the eyes and just wait there so close.

Amy's breathing slowed as she tried to remain calm. Karma had crawled up on top of her, allowing her whole body to trap Amy in the chair.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked nervously, her hands stopping Karma and holding both of Karma's wrists so that she couldn't possibly touch her without her consent.

"I miss you," Karma said, surveying Amy's eyes and then her lips, the way she smiled without smiling and tried her best to hold back at all costs.

Karma wondered what Amy was thinking. For once, she began to wonder what Amy actually wanted from her, what she actually wanted her to to do. Her feelings lately had been kind of intense. She didn't expect the feelings but they were there and they were only growing stronger.

"You can't miss me. I've been here the whole time," Amy groaned, letting her head fall back. She wanted more room between them because she was suddenly in GREAT NEED of a kiss.

"I know you've been here. You've been far away though… Too far," Karma smiled, noticing Amy's hesitance and biting her own lip.

Amy let go of Karma's wrists. She suddenly wanted to see what she'd do. So often over the years Amy had gotten used to putting distance between them, not letting Karma get close. Those days were done. If Karma wanted to touch her now, Amy was going to let her.

Karma raised a hand to Amy's face and brushed her hair away, laying her palm on Amy's cheek and staring down at her hungrily.

"You look like you want to eat me," Amy joked.

"I think I might," Karma smiled hungrily.

"Really?" Amy asked, challenging her again but this time not looking away.

"Mmmmhmmm…" Karma nodded, letting her head fall closer as her lips parted suddenly. Amy's breath stuttered at the nearness. Karma's mouth opened and her breath caught as she hesitantly let herself taste her delicately, treating her careful like a doll, stopping time.

At first Amy couldn't comprehend what was happening. Karma kissed her slow and because of it she kissed her back, faster, pulling her in close and feeling as her whole body called out for Karma's to be closer.

"What the hell was that?!" Amy asked, letting her hands fall to her sides as Karma pulled away just a bit. She searched Karma's face for an answer but all she saw was that almost serious smile.

"Shhhh," Karma said, staring at Amy's eyes again and then her lips. She let her hand feel at Amy's cheek and neck. She let her hand push up on Amy's chin, leading her lips back to her own. She didn't know until she had done it but she had been craving that kiss for hours now, maybe days. "You taste really good," she smiled. Amy felt Karma's smiling lips on her own. And she felt when Karma took her bottom lip in her mouth and savored it, exciting her.

"Fuck…" Amy sighed, turned on by it all. Karma slipped her tongue into her mouth, stealing away her ability to speak. Her whole body was on fire. Her hands were itching to grab Karma by her sides and pull her whole body down onto hers, pressing it close, but she was resisting. She wanted to see how far Karma would go on her own. This was already too far.

"Why aren't you touching me?" Karma asked shakily. She hadn't planned on kissing her best friend tonight. She hadn't planned on this fucking feeling in her, this need and hunger.

"Why are you touching me?"

"I think I want you," Karma said breathily, realizing it.

"Want me how?"

"How do you think?" Karma almost laughed. It was crazy hot, this feeling. Karma pulled Amy's hand up from her side and opened Amy's palm, laying it down on her own chest so that Amy could feel how fast her heart was beating.

"Whoa…" Amy said, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Uhh-huhh…" Karma nodded… "Whoa…"

Karma wasn't just humoring her. Karma was feeling it.

"Shit," Amy said, taking her hand up to her head and holding it.

"It's okay," Karma said, moving her body to Amy's side and laying down next to her, nuzzling her face in Amy's neck and hugging her tight. She could smell Amy's soft perfume and she loved it. They had been close before; laid together, slept in the same bed, snuggled even, but this was different. Karma knew that they were headed down a different set of tracks and she was anxious to barrel down them since the feeling was hot and windy and stifling in a good way.

Amy's hands came down to encircle her. For once, she let herself revel in Karma's body pressing into hers. The breeze ruffled the hem of Karma's dress and sent shivers up her body. Less space, that's what she needed. They should be at home, in her bed.

"I should probably be mingling…" Karma breathed with a hesitant smile. She should be doing anything else but she couldn't possibly tear herself away from her.

"It is why we're here…" Amy concurred.

"Why can't I move?" Karma asked truthfully. The last thing she'd ever want to do would be to move from this place.

"Come on," Amy said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge.

She looked down on Karma and held a hand out.

"I dun wanna," Karma whined.

"I did not come all the way out here for you not to get your way," Amy said reproachfully.

"Fine," Karma said, taking her hand and allowing Amy to pull her to her feet. She let herself fall closer and brace herself with a hand on Amy's ribs. "But we're going to finish this later," Karma said. Amy was shorter now that her heels were off. It was pretty hard to put distance between Karma's lips and her own. Amy's eyes searched Karma's and tried to make sense of how strange she was being.

"Okay," Amy said. There was no explaining her feelings. If anything she felt suspicious. "Go," Amy urged with her eyes as well as her hands.

Karma turned and left. Once she did, Amy fell down on the chair and held her head. Everything lately had felt so intense.

**Part III**

While Karma was inside mingling and making new friends with Lauren, Amy was outside enjoying a bit of peace and quiet. It had been months since she got to just sit outside and feel the night breeze. The night before definitely did not count, what with all that tension and fire.

Amy shivered at the thought of the fire. Strangely, she remembered that necklace from before and opened her clutch to pull it out. Now that she had been carrying it around all day without touching it, it didn't seem so cursed. It actually looked sorta pretty and irrationally, given what had just happened, Amy was beginning to wonder if it was a good luck charm.

She held it up to stare at it. Apprehensively she let it dangle close to her lips so that she could kiss it.

_There is nothing wrong with you_, she thought, taking the chain to her neck and fastening the necklace on. Wait… _Is it weird that I was just compelled to both kiss and talk to you?_

_Shut up Amy. Shut up. Shut up._

"Can I sit here please?!" A weeping girl had wandered up to her, breaking Amy from her crazy internal monologue and getting her to open her eyes.

"Huh?" Amy looked up and saw the pretty blonde girl with teary eyes and a dress even shorter than her own. "Yeah, sure," Amy said, moving over just a bit.

The girl plopped down hard and let her body fall onto Amy's into a natural sort of half-hug.

_Shit._ Amy thought. _Why does this crap always happen to me?!_

The girl had basically taken over Amy's body, trapping her there and laying her head on Amy's shoulder.

"They don't even care... No one cares," the girl said sadly.

For a second Amy hesitated. It could be normal to push the girl off. Perfectly normal. But Amy couldn't. Her hands waited in midair for her to decide.

Just as usual, Amy's conscience got the better of her. She felt a flash of anger that seemed to heat up at the place where her new necklace rested over her collarbone, but then that flash dissipated into nothing as acceptance took over her and she allowed her hands to drop down onto the stranger's back and arm.

"It'll be fine," Amy said. It was almost like talking to Karma.

"You think so?" The girl asked.

"Yeah, I really do," Amy lied. She didn't even know what they were talking about. The girl played with Amy's hand before slipping her arm around Amy's waste and holding her tighter.

"You're sweet," she said.

"Sure," Amy countered.

Seconds later Karma and Lauren came out to find Amy. They had Ray in tow and they definitely were not expecting to see what they saw.

"Amy?!" Karma said, stunned. A few minutes ago the arms around Amy had been her own. Now there was some other girl holding Amy. And a fucking pretty girl at that.

Amy shrugged helplessly without speaking. She didn't want to move because she had finally gotten Brit to calm down a little. The little sobs were drifting further apart and when she started petting Brit's hair a while back she noticed how Brit smiled into her skin and laid back with her to relax. It was sweet really, a nice way to spend the night.

Amy had been staring up at the stars before now. Just enjoying them and the closeness of this new person who obviously wanted her to hold her. After everything with Karma she felt calm and for once in a long while, she felt at peace. There was something magical about the stars though, every once in a while Amy saw them moving and making shapes. She was sure she must've been just tired and daydreaming but there was something fun about letting herself imagine them moving like that.

"Brittany?" Ray asked, crossing her arms and staring down at Britt and Amy.

"Leave me alone, please," Britt said, cuddling closer to Amy.

Karma noticed the smile that rose on Amy's face. She noticed it and for some reason it actually made her a little angry.

Amy cleared her throat and let Brit hold her tighter.

"I seem to have gained a friend," Amy said.

"Will you let go of her please," Ray barked harshly. She walked over and tried to yank Brit away from Amy but it was Brit who was holding on and not the other way around.

"HEY!" Amy yelled. "What the hell?!" That was certainly no way to treat a friend… Or human. Or living thing. The way Ray yanked at Brit reminded Amy of those horrible dog owners with those chain leashes that would tighten fast and choke off all air to the dog's lungs as a brutal punishment for being excited or happy.

"Brit, you _need_ to go home." Ray was trying to seem not-so-cruel. She may have over reacted just a tad.

"Why?!" Britt yelled. "Amy here is the only one who cares."

Karma and Lauren watched on in amazement. Brittany had to be drunk. She didn't even know Amy at all.

"What the fuck did you do to my friend?" Ray asked, angrily. Amy sat up and felt that strange heat again on her neck. Her hands gripped her throat lightly as she felt it burning though nothing had changed. Her head spun and she tried to brace herself on the chair but it didn't help. Lauren had spiked her drink but this wasn't normal spinning. Amy hadn't had enough to feel as fucked up as she was feeling. Something was wrong. She caught herself a second and it was long enough to speak.

"N-nothing!" Amy stuttered. "H-how dare you!"

Ray had been too busy surveying Britt though. Her friend seemed just as out of it as Amy was.

"Did you drug her?!" Ray asked. Karma and Lauren both watched as Ray lifted Britt up carefully and tried to look in her eyes.

"I would never do that," Amy spat.

"I've met lesbians like you, ya know. You think cause you're hot shit you can just take what you want?!"

"HEY!" Karma and Lauren both yelled, stepping forward and stopping to look at each other and calm. Ray couldn't get far with them both there anyway.

"No!" Ray yelled. "You need to get her the hell out of here. She's not welcome."

"Ray, Amy's _not_ like that," Karma defended.

"Like what?!" Amy asked, heat overtaking her. "I'm gay. I am gay Karma. That's what I am."

"Amy, I didn't mean-"

"You didn't mean?" Amy was thinking about the kissing before, she felt her head swim again and she closed her eyes and barely caught herself as that fire seemed to rush inside her mind and knock her back down, gluing her to her seat.

"Amy?!" Lauren asked, noticing her strange mood.

"Did _you_ drug _her_?!" Karma angrily asked Ray, seeing the way in which Amy was fumbling and barely catching herself. She was obviously trying to sit up and just be but something was stopping her and taking away her control.

Not meaning to, Amy reached for someone to hold onto so that she could gather herself and try and understand why her world was spinning. She wanted to brace herself but the person she had touched had not been Karma, Lauren, or Brit.

"GET OFF ME!" Ray yelled as Amy touched her. Amy's fingers instinctively wrapped around Ray's forearm and the next thing the girls all heard was the very high-pitched and unexpected scream of sorority girl Ray in burning aching pain. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ray screamed, moving fast to be rid of Amy's hold.

Karma and Lauren both ran to catch Amy as she fell after Ray who had run from her and dragged her from the chair in her haste to get away and put a stop to her own pain.

Sprawled out on the cement with her face on the ground, they had been too late to brace Amy.

There was that fire again like before, she felt it in her mind like a flash, and then her world went completely blank.

After the fire the darkness took over...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Temperature Rising**

**Part I**

"Amy?!" A faint voice was calling her name. "Amy?" The voice grew louder.

Karma and Lauren were both squatting near Amy, looking down at her and trying to get her to wake. She had been out for at least two whole minutes and Karma was starting to freak out. Noticing this, Lauren took her hand and slapped Amy's face hard.

"OW! JESUS!" Amy awoke instantly, sitting up and holding at her cheek. Karma crawled behind her and helped her to rise.

"Amy? What happened?!"

"What?" Amy tried but it took a second to force her eyes open. She was at the pool. In the yard of some strangers house. But the stranger was gone. "Where's Britt?" She asked.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Lauren asked, staring her in the face. "Can you maybe stop being a lesbian for one fucking minute?!" Lauren scolded.

"My head hurts."

"You passed out, sweetie," Karma said with her lips by Amy's ear. Amy hadn't really noticed her there but now she was being held by her and that was good.

"Oh," Amy said.

"I think that mental patient put something in your punch."

"Why would she do that?"

"Why do bitches do anything?!" Lauren rhetorically bit back.

"True," Amy shrugged. She started to move but Karma held her down.

"Maybe you should sit a while. You blacked out and everything."

"Fine," Amy said, resting back into her and holding Karma's arms with her hands. Karma was fussing over her, checking her for cuts. She did have one on her forehead but Karma had taken to it right away with a kleenex from her clutch. Amy felt as Karma sweetly kissed her hair and held her close, finally calming.

"What did you do to her, by the way?" Lauren asked.

"Do to who?" Was she talking about Britt? Amy didn't do that to her, Ray probably did.

"Ray," Lauren said seeming proud. "Please tell me you heard that scream before you…" Lauren made a few hand gestured that implied Amy biting the dust.

"Scream?! Wha-huh?!"

"You did something to her."

"I've never heard a grown woman scream like that," Karma interjected.

"I didn't do anything…" Amy shrugged.

_Did I? _ She thought…

**Part II**

Getting ready for bed had never been so nerve wracking. It was the promise from earlier. Since Lauren had been with them it was impossible to continue their outdoor interlude. Amy rinsed her toothbrush out and then set it back in the holder. The mouthwash sat there staring at her. Usually, she didn't use it before bed but fresh breath seemed like a good idea if kissing was in the cards.

"Are you coming?"

For one heart pounding second, Amy thought she had died. "You scared the shit out of me!" She whirled around and saw Karma standing in the doorway, snickering. 

"Sorry," she said.

"Suuuure." Pivoting back around, she looked back at the mirror. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay, I'll be waiting." With a smile and a twirl, Karma was gone, nearly bouncing as she walked.

Amy watched her reflection retreat in the mirror and looked back down at the mouthwash. With a sigh, she grabbed it and twisted the cap off. No way was she going in there unprepared. As she swished, she felt the nerves beating at her, making her stomach gurgle.

"Amy!"

Karma's voice broke her concentration. "Whaguuuuuah." It was hardly a noise let alone a word but it came from the fact that instead of spitting out the mouthwash she had swallowed part of it and let the rest of it splash into the sink, droplets of it coming back up to hit her shirt. She leaned over the sink, coughing and clearing her throat.

"Get in here already!"

Instead of answering she quickly wiped her mouth on the hand towel hanging by the sink. Through the bathroom, down the short hallway. right up to Karma's bedroom door, and she stopped. It was now or never but for all the anticipation she was feeling there was also a big dose of fear.

By nature, she never believed that she could get what she wanted. On the other side of that door was her dream. Unless this was all some kind of cruel joke, which was probably the more likely of the two scenarios. Amy never was a glass half full kind of girl.

Instead of wallowing in indecision all night she went for it, pushed open the door and went in. Karma was on the bed laying there.

"Finally," Karma said. She propped up on her elbows.

Exasperation coloured the words but the smile Karma wore was pure enticement. It drew Amy towards the bed. She was amazed. They were both wearing their normal pj ensembles but even in shorts and a tank top, Karma looked amazing.

"Get up here." Karma patted the bed next to her but kept their eyes locked.

Amy crawled up onto the bed and lay beside her. She wanted to reach over, to touch, but she was still nervous. Now, Karma was looking down at her with eyes shining with intention, love, and something else, something new. "Are you gonna kiss me, or what?"

It was the third time she had no answer for Karma, but she didn't actually need one. Instead of speaking she leaned up, stopping in the moment before their lips met. That second brought the adrenaline to full release. She jumped off the cliff and this time Karma was with her.

They kissed again and it was different from when they were at the sorority party. Sweet and tender but with a side of need. Karma was fully committed, knowledgeable for the first time about what it was like to kiss Amy.

They had kissed so many times in high school when they were faking it. They had kissed occasionally since, but this was a kiss. A real honest to god kiss and one that drove them both crazy. Karma drew Amy closer and rolled onto her back. Amy braced herself on the bed and kept their lips in contact, but her arms brushed the bare skin where Karma's shirt rode up.

Heat built inside her and around them. Karma's hands were in her hair, pulling at her, inviting her closer still, pulling her in. Her mouth opened, the kiss deepened past the point where she had control of herself. Now, she was all instinct.

Sweat beaded on her brow, ripening to a burgeoning drop until it fell through the limited space between them and on the pillow beside Karma's head. The intensity built and culminated at the point when Karma's hands slid under Amy's shirt.

She was hot, too hot and not just because of the lazy trails that Karma's fingers were making up her sides. It wasn't normal hot. She almost broke the kiss but Karma pulled her back in again, needing her so. Instead of abate the flames engulfed her and there was no thought anymore. At least, until cold air met her face.

"Ow!" Karma flew back into the bed, fingers covering her lips.

"Wha," Amy breathed out parched, looking down at her and panting wildly.

"My lips… they feel… it feels like I got burned."

Amy stared down at her in confusion.

"Hold on," Karma said, allowing her hand to run along Amy's side and actually feel her. Amy's eyes closed in pleasure but Karma realized there was something wrong. "You're too hot."

"What?" Amy laughed.

"No, Amy, I mean it," Karma said nervously, bringing her hand to Amy's forehead and feeling it like a mother checks a child for a fever. "Do you feel sick? Are you okay?"

"Karma, I'm fine," Amy said shakily. Karma's hands were all about her though and moving. That excited her. This wasn't the time to be feeling ill. Even if she was ill Amy would never say. Not right now.

"No…" Karma decided. "You're not."

Amy stayed where she was as Karma wiggled out from beneath her, being careful not to touch her scorching skin. As soon as Karma got up Amy let herself fall down on the bed and pout. Was she really that hot?

Maybe Karma was right… Maybe she was sick.

"Stay here," Karma said, running off to the bathroom. There was a thermometer in there and Karma was oddly worried now. She held her hands to her lips and felt them tingle. The kiss had been hot but it hadn't been a normal Amy kiss, there was something else too it.

Back on the bed, Amy placed her hand on her head but she couldn't feel the heat. Unconsciously she let her hand fall to the pendant that Clarice had given her. Without thinking or knowing why she began to rub it and think of rushing water and cool flowing wind. Her eyes closed and she felt a calm invade her.

Second later Karma came rushing in with a thermometer in her hand and a washcloth she had dosed in cold water.

"Lay back," Karma ordered, pulling Amy flat with a hand on her arm. As soon as Amy was settled she placed the wet cloth over Amy's head and crawled up on her knees by her side shaking the old-style thermometer to get the red meter down.

"I told you, I'm fine," Amy said. But she liked being fussed over like this. It distracted her from other things.

"Open," Karma ordered, placing the thermometer in Amy's mouth with one hand and then pushing her mouth closed with the other. "Stay still."

There was a long moment of awkwardness between the time the thermometer went in and the time the thermometer came out. Karma could feel that Amy's skin was cooler than it had been before and Amy could read it in her face, that certain what-the-fuck feeling.

When she took the thermometer out she was annoyed by what she saw.

"Well?"

"97…" Karma said almost annoyed with herself. Her lips were still a bit tingly but she hadn't been imagining it, Amy's skin had been hot as hell. Even that kiss felt like heat in her mouth. It wasn't desirable when it ended and it wasn't normal and everything about it puzzled the shit out of Karma.

"I know my own body," Amy smiled up at her.

"Right…" Karma said, immediately wanting to kiss her again now that everything was alright.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked, seeing the mischief in Karma's eyes.

"None of your business," Karma said, throwing the thermometer at the nightstand and moving to straddle Amy and grab at her wrists, trapping her beneath her.

"Karma!" Amy smiled, feeling the heat in her rise. Her heart pumped fast and her breath sped as Karma hovered over her lowering slow and just watching her like a hawk survey's its prey.

"What are you feeling?" Karma asked, watching her as her breathe sped quickly and her heart appeared to race.

"Stop," Amy smiled. What was she feeling? She was feeling attacked. Adored. She was under her thumb. Completely at Karma's mercy.

The more she thought about it, the hotter she became. She tried to move her hands but Karma pushed down harder just for the effect.

When Amy stopped fighting, Karma sat up and put her hand on Amy's skin beneath her shirt. The heat had returned.

"HA!" Karma yelled, moving over her fast to grab the thermometer back and shake it out. Amy tried to sit up but Karma used a hand on her chest to force her back down. "Open," Karma ordered.

"This is so stupid," Amy groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Humor me?" Karma begged.

"Fine…" Amy said. She opened her mouth and tried to not smile once the thermometer was back beneath her tongue. With the thermometer in her mouth Karma had time to kill and hands that really desired to roam. Beneath Amy's shirt where the heat was, Karma let her hands tickle and play at Amy's skin. She watched, getting hot, as Amy took fast breathes that caused her stomach to rapidly suck in and push out. Every little touch seemed to affect her.

"Mmmmm," Karma said, just watching. She let herself lay down by Amy and hug her while the thermometer took it's time. Amy felt Karma's nose by her neck and Karma's hand on her side. "Okay," Karma whispered, moving her hand to the thermometer and taking it out.

What she saw was terrifying though. She sat up fast with a look of panic on her face.

"What the hell?!"

Amy sat up fast. Karma had already gotten up and begun to put her shoes on.

"What are you doing?"

"We have to go to the hospital."

"What?" Amy laughed. "Karma, I'm fine."

"LOOK!" Karma yelled in a panic. The thermometer had gone to the top of the meter, all the way up.

"That's impossible," Amy stared, trying to take the thing from her. Karma didn't want her to take it though, it was proof.

Amy grabbed her wrist and took it away. "Stop," Amy said, forcing Karma to still. She pulled Karma's hand onto her chest in the spot over the pendent and Karma felt it there, it was cool. "I'm fine," she guaranteed. "Plus, this thing's probably broken anyway, no one uses these anymore…"

Karma let Amy pull her to sit by her. She had to be right. If Amy was really that hot she'd be dead. Those were the rules.

"Can we just sleep? Please?" Amy asked sweetly.

She had wanted to be kissing her. She had wanted a lot of things. But mostly she wanted her close and to feel calm.

"Why are you wearing this?" Karma asked. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to that cold pendant. She took the charm in her hand and rubbed it, feeling how cool it was, like a wet stone taken straight from a rushing river.

"I think its good luck," Amy said, noticing how close she was to Karma's lips and Karma's cheeks and Karma's neck and Karma's face.

"You like her don't you?" Karma asked.

"Karma," Amy sighed lovingly. The thought was comical because none of it mattered, not to Amy. "I like you," Amy urged.

"Okay," Karma said, pulling her shoes off and getting in bed. "I don't get it but… okay," she relented. Amy was acting normal. Her breathing was normal. Even her smile was back. If anything she was healthier now than she had been two days ago when she was keeping her secret.

They slept together calmly, being slow and careful about touching. Secretly Karma was sure something was wrong. And secretly Amy was sure she should talk to Clarice about the thermometer and the heat.

The thermometer had been off the charts and Amy had felt the difference in her body, how it would fluctuate from extreme heat to cool calm. There was something going on but it would all have to wait until morning because right now they just wanted to hold each other and feel the familiar feel of being close with one other like they used to be before it all became too complicated and overwhelming. Before Hester High School, adult feelings, and Liam booker.

**Part III**

"KARMA!" Lauren yelled outside her door and knocked. "KARMA GET UP!"

"Whoa," Amy said, coming too. She was more attuned to Lauren's screaming tone. "Karma," she said, shaking her to wake.

"Hi," Karma said, her eyes drifting open.

"Hey," Amy smiled.

"KARMA! DOOR!"

Ray had come to visit and Lauren was definitely not happy to see that fucking heartless bitch at her door.

"It's 7am…" Karma said, looking at her phone.

Amy shrugged.

Reluctantly Karma got up and walked out into the living room. "Sorry," she mouthed to Lauren as she passed. Lauren gave her a death glare but she was worried too. Ray was making a house call and people just didn't do that unless they wanted something.

"Ray…" Karma said, pursing her lips in almost anger. "How did you know where I lived?"

"I asked at the front."

"They just gave you my exact location? That's comforting…"

"Look, I know I don't deserve your attention. I was drunk last night. Real drunk."

"That's not really the word I'd use to describe it…" Karma said. She'd use the world RUDE. Or maybe the word HORRIBLE. But DRUNK was definitely not the right word. Drunk couldn't excuse a damn thing.

"You know what I mean."

"Ray…" Karma stood up straighter than she needed too. "I know you want me to pledge TriDelta." Ray seemed to perk up with hope. "I don't know why you want me and frankly I don't really care. The way you treated my friend last night? That was pretty fucking horrible."

"Karma, I can't even begin to apologize."

"Yeah, well, that's the thing Ray. You haven't even begun."

"Excuse me?"

"You haven't actually said the words: I'm sorry."

"Well… I am…" Ray sighed.

"You are?" Karma waited for it.

"Sorry." Ray finally said. "I am really sorry." She did look like she meant it too.

"That's nice but my friend hates you now and I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"To be fair, it looked like your friend already hated me when we first met."

"You're not wrong about that but you haven't really done much to disprove her theory that all sorority girls are bitches who make each other cry and treat each other like crap."

"What?!"

"Her words, believe me, not mine," Karma laughed. "Would you believe I used to be excited about TriDelta?"

"Karma…" It was strange to already feel such an attachment to this girl who could easily not be in her life. After the way Ray had treated Amy, accusing her of drugging her friend? There really wasn't a reason to keep seeing her. Karma felt bad though. She was a sucker for an apology, even if she did have to force it out of Ray. Just like she was very familiar with making mistakes she wished more than anything she could take back.

"I know… It's fucked up…" Karma relented.

"You're famous at TriDelta."

"What?" Karma smirked.

"A couple of years ago the head girls were obsessed with your facebook and twitter feed. Everyone watched how you actually accomplished bringing Liam Booker down. You're a living legend."

"Excuse me?!" Karma felt rage between her eyes.

"What?! You're a bad bitch and you're smart! We need girls like you. We need leaders."

"Ray, that wasn't leading. That was me fucking everything up, including Liam Booker's head."

"Well, whatever it was… It was impressive."

"It was idiotic." Karma was even angrier now. Of all the fucking things…

"Hey, don't be mad, please…"

"What else should I be?! You stalk me… You call my best friend a creepy lesbian and accuse her of drugging your other friend who you obviously didn't care much about until Amy was holding her."

"Hey!"

"No Ray… I'm going to need better reasons to want to join this sorority.. All I've seen has been depressing. I really don't get it…"

Amy walked up behind Karma. She had been hearing Karma's voice raise and raise and raise.

"Is there a problem?" Amy asked from behind Karma. Karma purposely opened the door a little more so that Ray would have to see Amy.

"Amy, hi…"

"Really? That's all you have to fucking say to me after last night?!"

"I'm fine. Thanks," Ray said bitterly, holding her arm up and pulling her sleeve down to reveal a clean looking white bandage.

"What the hell is that?"

"YOU BURNED MY ARM!" Ray yelled. These girls were crazy and they were trying to get her to beg. It was working too! Ray wanted to scream.

"What do you mean I burned your arm?!" Amy scoffed.

"Look Amy.. Whatever… I just wanted to say sorry, okay?"

"Really?" Amy was a bit skeptical. She looked Ray up and down and noticed that she actually did seem a little guilty.

"Yes."

"Okay," Amy said, accepting it. "And if I did that," Amy said, pointing down at Ray's arm. "If I did that, and I dunno how I could've, I'm really sorry too. I never want to hurt people. Even people like you."

Karma smiled and looked between them, noticing how silly they both were. It was almost like they had the same personality all of a sudden. They were all squeamish and probably wishing to be anywhere else.

"All right Ray, thanks for coming over," Karma said, trying to end things.

"Karma, what about-"

"I'll text you, I promise," Karma said quickly. She wanted to close the door and end things on a high note. She honestly had no desire to rush now but Ray had made Amy feel better and that was clearly apparent.

"Bye," Ray said as the door began to shut in her face.

"Bye," Karma fake smiled, closing the door tight and locking it just in case.

"Interesting…" Amy said, standing back with crossed arms.

"Very interesting," Karma noted.

**Part IV**

Autumn had turned the trees and temperature had followed. Cooler weather meant that the semester was past its beginning and on to start the middle. The entire campus was alive with light and life, but there were shadows as well. They inhabited the far sides of buildings and the narrow walks between trees. As Amy walked through just such a pool of darkness, she pulled her cardigan tight around her torso.

This side of campus was less traveled. All of the Greek houses inhabited the same road and just towards the end of it, where the streetlights tapered off there was a tall, imposing Gothic style house. She could see it from where she walked. The roof came to three peaks, each inhabited by a window. They loomed over the street like ominous eyes, scrutinizing her gradual approach.. Amy crossed the street and stood on the sidewalk in front of the house. She glanced down at her phone, reading the address in the text one more time. This was it, in all it's creepy glory.

After the night that she and Karma had it was apparent that Amy needed some answers about what was happening to her. Hurting Karma wasn't an option. They didn't even know what they were now and that was even more complicated since this oddity had entered her life. The only person she knew with answers was waiting for her inside.

Now that she was here it was hard to make herself approach the house. Everything about this was screwed up in her head and she still wasn't convinced that Clarice hadn't caused this. Nothing weird happened until the moment they touched. Thinking about it just confused Amy further.. She stuffed her phone in her pocket and took a step onto the pathway up to the door.

It was actually a set of two huge oak doors with cast iron hinges. She walked right up to them and reached up to wrap her hand around the ancient looking silver knocker in the shape of a crest. It was too dark to see the details of it and she didn't much care. She wanted to get this shit over with as fast as possible. No time to admire the beauty of the creep-ass door-knocker that could easily be just as cursed as Clarice.

Before she could knock on the door, it opened before her. Clarice stood on the other side looking down at her with her hand placed lightly against the ancient wood. "Shit! Were you just standing there waiting for me?"

The door let light out into the entryway, backlighting Clarice's body. "No, but Emily saw you standing out there from the window." She opened the door further to let Amy in. "Seriously, I'm not actually a creep." She waved her hand and stepped aside when Amy still hadn't moved. "Despite evidence to the contrary."

"Sure." Dubious as the reply was Amy still went into the house. She expected something weird, creepy, maybe something you could get on sale at a Halloween store, but the interior of the house was kind of cool. Eclectically decorated in recycled pieces. Amy stepped through the foyer and into the living room, passing an old sewing machine stand that had been repurposed as a bookshelf.

The entire room was full of repurposed and unusual objects. The artwork was old or sculpted from recycled materials. The walls were a warm shade between white and yellow and the floors were original cherry slats. It all left Amy with a cozy feeling. Her wonder at the surroundings induced her trepidation to dissipate.

A squeak sounded as two girls came down the old wood stairs. Comfort fled and Amy was once again aware that she was in a strange place for a purpose that was less than pleasant. The girl in front was tall and statuesque, looking as if she had stepped out of a glossy photo of an old movie set. The girl behind her was petite and athletic with strawberry blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Amy!" Clarice stepped beside the other girls. "This is Emily." She pointed to the first girl. "And this is Esterly." Both girls smiled at her, "Emily's more open and welcoming than Esterly's."

"Um, hi." She gave a small wave and let her hand drop back to her side, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Nice to meet you."

Emily came forward and stuck her hand out for Amy to shake. "Clarice has told us a lot about you. I'm so glad you came by."

Amy met Emily's hand with her own limp one, but Emily gripped it tighter. A light fluttering feeling started in the pit of Amy's stomach. Energy passed between their skin, conducted by the joining of nerve endings that awoke with recognition. There was a familiar feeling. Not quite the same as she had with Clarice when they first touched. It was more powerful, deeper rooted.

The handshake continued past the point of polite necessity. Amy's eyes were glued to Emily's until she turned and gestured to Esterly with a nod. There was a grief in the loss of Emily's direct attention, one that made her miss Esterly's eye roll as she stepped forward to greet Amy properly.

_Be nice_, Emily mouthed as she released Amy's hand and stepped aside. Esterly's hand was different. There was definitely a connection but it was reluctant and withholding, nothing like Emily or Clarice's.

"Welcome to the house," Esterly said. Her words bit with a sarcastic ferocity. Emily nudged her arm, making her stumble slightly.

"What Esterly means is that we're really happy that you decided to give us a chance to explain even after Clarice kind of freaked you out." Emily took Amy's elbow and led her over to the couch that had been a large claw foot bathtub in it's former life. They sat down, Amy feeling swept into the action.

They sat at angles, creating an obtuse space between them that came to a point where their knees nearly touched, creating a sort of triangle. "She means well."

Amy looked over to Clarice, whose face fell like a child's. "Um, I don't mean to interrupt or anything but who the hell are you guys?"

Emily sat up straight, creases marring her perfect brow. "Oh, I thought Clarice told you." She pulled back a little, aware of their closeness. "We're witches." She looked at the other two girls. "We channel the elements but we're all specifically gifted with fire. That's what this circle is, a fire circle."

Her lips formed the shape of several words but none would come out. It was a stupefying explanation of things. Clarice had been vague but Emily just hit her upside the face with the two by four of information. "Whaaaa." She finally got a sound out and stopped, refocusing. "Are you crazy?"

The sigh that followed was a heavy one. "No, we're not crazy. The world is though. That's why we don't tell anyone. It's kind of a rule."

"Witches," Amy said. The word rumbled around inside her, tasting strange. "Fuck." She suddenly wished for the comfort of Karma's presence or even Lauren's. It would make things manageable. Yet, here she was out twisting in the wind.

"Here, let me show you." Emily slid off the couch and onto the floor, scooting across until she was a few feet away, legs crossed. Amy stayed where she was, frozen. Emily took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then pressed her palms together in front of her. After a few moments Amy was pretty sure that nothing was going to happen. They all sat there, the ticking of the grandfather clock on the far wall boring into the silence.

The other girls simply watched. Esterly betrayed no emotion while Clarice leaned forward with anticipation, her eyes alight. Slowly, millimeter-by-millimeter, Emily drew her palms apart, stretching the gathered force of matter that channeled through her between them. At first it was only a translucent film, tendrils that rolled over and in on each other like fog.

The farther her hands drew apart, the more defined the structure grew, until it was clear that the fog was smoke. A flicker appeared at the base and became a flame. It shot up, floating in front of Emily and moved a foot away, exactly half-way between them.

When the flame was stable, Emily opened her eyes and looked into Amy's with intensity. "Put out your hands.

"No way," Amy said, her head jerking back. "No."

"Don't be afraid," Emily said. Her voice was low, soothing, almost entrancing.

Amy felt a tug at her heart. Something in her wanted to do it. Gradually she found herself moving forward.

"That's it. It won't hurt you. I promise."

Amy haltingly put her hands out, cupping the air near the flame. Fear flashed through her and instinct told her to back away.

"It's okay. Just put your hands under the flame and bring them back toward you. You'll be able to hold my flame and it will take your energy and mix it with mine."

Amy licked her dry lips and settled her hands below the flame.

"That's too far down," Emily corrected. Her eyes still locked on Amy. "Just move them up slowly and focus on holding the flame up. The rest will come naturally."

It felt strange but she wasn't so afraid anymore. She was excited and eager. Emily's voice acted as a glass through which she focused her energy. Her fingers came close to the flame and she felt it lift up with her. Something rushed through her, like she could feel the blood in her veins going toward the fire.

She felt everything. The universe in one moment and nothing in the expanse of time. She felt Emily's magic joining with hers, drawing her out, and making her feel an incredible sense of everything around her. She felt alive.

"Now, bring it towards you," Emily continued.

Amy did, collecting the flame inside her personal space. It warmed her face, just as it lit her from within. 

"God, you're powerful," Emily said, heady with the experience.

The flame licked the air as if awaiting command but the spell was broken by Amy's phone going off. Her hands fell and the flame evaporated. Emily fell forward, her head hitting her chest with the sudden withdrawal.

As Amy pulled the phone out of her pocket she fumbled it and almost dropped it before she could check the display. It was Karma. No doubt calling to check on her. She bit her lip, rising and walking away, back facing the other girls. She toyed with her decision to answer or ignore.

She would keep calling, getting more worried each time that Amy didn't answer. Amy took another few steps into the foyer and answered the call.

"Hey, Karma." Everyone was watching her as she paced back and forth in the small hallway. She listened to Karma for a second before breaking in on her sentence. "Listen, I know you were just worried but I really can't talk now. Okay? I'll be home as soon as I can." She hung up the phone and put it back in it's former resting place inside her jeans.

When she turned, all eyes were on her. "So, I'm a witch?"

Clarice and Emily smiled and Esterly just shook her head, a silent smirk settling on her face. "Yes," Emily answered. "That's the simple way to put it."

She needed to sit down again. This was all starting to be a little too heady. She made it to the couch and took her seat again. "I'm still not convinced that you didn't do this to me." She held out her arm towards Clarice. "When you touched me at the fair, that's when it all started."

Clarice shook her head. "No, I just recognized it in you and when I touched you I was bringing the latent power to the surface. That's all. You always had the power."

"Yeah," Emily added. We couldn't have done this to you. This is inherent… and genetic."

"No…" Amy put a hand up, palm toward the girls. "No way, my mom is way too normal to have any powers or whatever." She scoffed at the idea. Farrah Cooper, a witch? There was no way.

"It could have come from your father," Emily suggested. What's your last name? She balanced on her hand and rose to walk over to the bookcase Amy had noticed earlier. There was a particularly large tome that she lifted off the top shelf and then turned back to Amy. "Well? This is a book of all the known most prominent magical families. Yours could be in here, judging by the amount of power I can feel you have." She shrugged. "You never know."

"Raudenfeld," Amy said, scooting to the edge of the couch. That edge of excitement had returned, shoving the disbelief aside for the moment. "I doubt…"

"What?!" Emily shot Clarice a glance. "You didn't tell me that." She walked forward, face animated and breaths coming faster. She ignored Clarice's shrug and focused on Amy. "Are you related to Alec Raudenfeld?"

"Yeah." Amy looked around, the space suddenly felt smaller. "That's my dad's name."

Now, Clarice shot forward. "He's your dad!?" Never had she imagined meeting someone born of one of the most famous magical lines in existence.

Even Esterly had come from her post by the wall to gawk at Amy. "You're like… magical royalty," she said.

Shock made the air take on a kinetic feel. Amy hated the attention and focus. She had enough issues with her father. This could add a new level to the already impressive baggage she possessed. "Maybe it's a mistake. It couldn't be the same person."

"No, it has to be." Clarice sat down beside her and grabbed her hand. "Really, I knew there was something different about you as soon as I saw you." She squeezed Amy's hand and nodded to Emily. "That's exactly what I said when I came home from the fair."

Breathing was becoming harder. Amy felt the cold claminess of Clarice's grip like it was a shackle of flesh, holding her there. Irrationally, Amy remembered the fire in the park with Clarice and being trapped by Clarice in the dream. "Look, I think you guys have this all wrong. My dad was kind of a loser. He left us when I was young, really young." She tried to subtly pull away from Clarice but Clarice held on.

"Hey, you could be right," Emily said. She tried to give Clarice a signal to back off with just the help of her eyes but it didn't seem to get through. The girl was a little oblivious. "But, still, let us look into it." She smiled, a bright beam through the cacophony of closing darkness in Amy's mind.

"I'll make a few calls and talk to our local Ward. She should be able to tell us what's going on."

Amy nodded. "Yeah, you do that." Her lips arched into a painful smile. "Listen, I should really go. My roommate is waiting up for me."

Emily got up and came towards the couch. Giving up on hints, she grabbed Clarice's arm and tugged at her. "Yeah, we will definitely get back to you."

Clarice stood up and stood aside, looking like a kicked puppy. "Sorry," She muttered.

That was all the cue Amy needed to make her way to the door. Emily walked her out and stopped in the doorway.

"Here," Emily said, holding out a small card. "This is my card. You should call me if you need anything, anything at all. Questions, issues, or even just to talk."

Amy grasped the card, her fingers brushing Emily's. Her skin was warm and once again the energy hummed between them, leaving Amy to keep her fingers there, holding onto the other side of the card. "Okay, thanks." She cleared her throat, willing herself to look away.

"I know this is all frightening and new. It's really unbelievable." Emily's face was lit perfectly by the light coming from the living room. The curve of her cheek took on a glow, casting warmth over her perfectly angular features and giving her auburn hair darker dimension. "If I hadn't grown up with this, being taught how to use the power, I would feel really lost and confused. So, really, I'm here, anytime. Take advantage of it."

Amy felt a little faint and that was becoming a familiar thing. She swallowed hard and took the card, slipping it into her pocket with her phone. "Thanks. It was, uhh, really nice to meet you."

Emily opened the door for her and cool night air wrapped around her body like a soothing blanket. She took the first step down and turned back. "Nice house by the way."

"It was nice to meet you too and thanks." Emily waved and leaned against the door. "You're welcome anytime, really."

"Okay," Amy said, ducking her head. "Well bye." Two more steps and she was on the sidewalk. She turned back one last time to see Emily smile and then turn, closing the door behind her. This was seriously the weirdest thing ever.

She felt like she had fallen down the rabbit hole, only this wasn't Wonderland. This was a place where the tenuous hold she had on her identity had slipped. Now, she was left to figure out who she was all over again. It felt like repeating that high school. All the emotions churning around, making her feel like she should either be committed or crawl into her bed and never come out.

She started for home, unable to stop thinking about everything that had happened in the last hour. Her father. He was a figure that always loomed somewhere in her background, a ghost that haunted her past present and future. An absent being. Another person who couldn't love her.

Could Emily and Clarice be right? Was that why he had left? She had too many questions. All she wanted right now was some way to relax her mind. She could only think of one way. At times like this it was best to shut her mind down. Killing the obsessive and troubling thought processes would help. She needed to do something physical. She needed to go…. She needed Karma.


End file.
